Iten, Kenya

Overview

The edge of the Kerio Rift Valley of Kenya, with its stunning landscapes, incredible wildlife and welcoming people, is the setting for your summer adventure in 2012. At 8000 ft. above sea level, the small, rural town of Iten is an ideal place to settle into a Kenyan lifestyle. Every day, you'll run on the extensive network of trails and dirt roads with the numerous world class Kenyan and international athletes who live and train here. In the afternoons you'll continue your training with a structured workout in the gym or pool. You'll also spend time getting to know the community as you work with Kenyan students and within the community, gaining service hours as you learn and contribute.

At two points during the 24 day trip to Kenya, you will travel from Iten for a safari including a 3 day experience in the incredible Masai Mara, where you could witness the annual wildebeest migration through this National Park. Predators follow the migrating herd closely, waiting for an opportunity to strike weak prey as they traverse the plains.

General Itinerary - running/training schedules are approximations and will change depending on personal goals and fitness levels

Day 1 - Depart for Nairobi, via Europe or Dubai

Day 2 - Arrive Nairobi, be greeted by STRIVE group leaders and transported to the Nairobi accommodations

Day 3 - Catch early morning JetLink Kenya flight from Nairobi to Eldoret.Transfer to the High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) and take time to get familiar with your new surroundings. Begin to acclimatize with a slow pm run or workout in the gym

Day 4 - Walk to Iten and possibly visit the local track or primary schools. Continue with acclimatization, taking the running slowly and learning the local routes.

Days 5 to 7 - 7 am run, midday community service , pm workout, swim, and/or run

Day 8 - 7 am long run, pm community service or visit to Eldoret

Day 9 - Training rest day: 6:30am departure for safari day trip, late pm return

Days 10 to 14 - 7 am run, midday community service, pm run, workout and/or swim

Day 15 - 7 am long run, pm visit St. Patrick's school or another local site

Days 16 to 19 - 7 am run, midday community service, pm run, workout and/or swim

Day 20- 7 am long run, pm community service, celebratory 'final night' dinner

Day 21 - 7am departure to Masai Mara, 3pm arrival, afternoon game drive

Day 22 - 6:00am run, Safari day-long game drive, afternoon visit to Masai Village

Day 23 - 6:00am run, morning game drive, pm transfer to Nairobi and evening flight home

Day 24 - Arrive back in the US as your adventure ends.

- This itinerary is subject to change at any time

Length: 24 days

Estimated Group size: 18 students

Student/staff ratio: No greater than 6:1

Community Service Hours: 35 - 45

Tuition: $4550

The greeting window for flights landing in Nairobi is between 6pm and 11pm on June 24.  Departing flights on the final day of the program cannot be scheduled to leave before 6pm on July 15.  

Lodging

Nairobi: Student athletes will spend only one night in Nairobi, immediately following their arrival in Kenya. All students will be met at Jomo Kenyatta International airport outside the luggage retrieval area and driven to a secure, comfortable Nairobi hotel where they will have the choice to rest, or have something to eat. All student athletes will all be asked to communicate their safe arrival via a phone call home from here. Early the following morning the group will travel back to the airport for a 30 minute flight to Eldoret. From Eldoret the group will be driven to the High Altitude Training Centre in Iten, about a 45 minute trip.

Iten: STRIVE Students will lodge two or three to a room (as in Nairobi) at the High Altitude Training Centre (HATC). Each room has its own private bathroom and shower. Hot water is usually available for showers. The center has a library, state of the art gym and sauna on-site, half basketball court, and has recently installed a 25 meter heated swimming pool. Within the facility grounds is a restaurant where all HATC guests have their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals are prepared by an on-site chef and include vegetables, beans, some meat, and often ugali, a staple of East African diets made with cornmeal. The chefs do their best to accommodate western palates, as Kenyan food is much simpler than many Americans are used to, but participants must be prepared to eat very differently than they do at home. The HATC is located directly next to the local police station and about one kilometer from the local track. The town of Iten is a very rural, quiet community where foreign visitors are welcomed and curious children are thrilled to watch you running (or walking) by.

On Safari: During the Masai Mara safari, lodging will be in a 'permanent' style tent/structure. Two students share each tent, which are furnished with raised beds, complete with mattresses and full bedding. Each tent also has its own bathroom and shower. The camp is powered with a generator, so the hours of electricity are limited to early mornings and evenings. Hot water is only intermittently available.