Kenya Experience Omdömen 

My 18-year-old son's first trip abroad on his own was to a training camp with Kenya Experience, and we couldn't have been happier with the experience.

From the outset, the pre-trip information and communication were excellent, helping to reassure both him and us. The training programme was well organised and professionally run, providing a fantastic environment for young athletes to develop and challenge themselves.

The food and accommodation were excellent, and he was very well looked after throughout his stay. Alongside the training, there were cultural experiences and day trips which gave him a real insight into Kenyan life and made the trip even more memorable.

What stood out most was the care and support from the staff. As a first-time solo traveller, he was made to feel safe, welcome and supported at all times. When his flight was delayed, the team went above and beyond to ensure he was looked after and kept informed, which was greatly appreciated.

He returned more confident, with amazing memories and valuable training experience. We genuinely couldn't fault Kenya Experience and would highly recommend them to any young person considering a training camp abroad.

Thank you to the whole Kenya Experience team for your professionalism, care and support.

We leave camp today and I just wanted to tell you what an amazing experience we had! It would be impossible to have better people running the show here. Willy and Emmanuel alone are some of the greatest people we have ever met; both would give you the shirt off their back without hesitation. Coach Richard was fantastic, as well. And, I must give another special mention for Toni (photographer) who played with our kids and taught them Swahili throughout the trip. In fact, the whole camp made this such a special trip for our kids, and they did this seamlessly, without detracting from the overall running experience for the other guests. The entire staff from pacers to kitchen and grounds crew were so friendly and accommodating. You guys all do great work and we are so happy to see how it integrates and helps the the amazing people of Iten!

I trained at the High Altitude Training Camp in Iten for 18 days in May 2026 to finish training for the Cape Town Marathon. Kenya Experience provided the program, Coach (Richard) and pacer (Emmanuel). The entire experience was life changing for me. From running the red dirt roads to track workouts to long runs on Moiben Road my fitness level hit a new high. The results were amazing as I set a new PR and finished 1st in my AG at the World Championships. I’m already planning my next visit!

Everything was perfect; the training program, coaches, site visits, food, safety, and the warmth of the staff. If you were to ask for one area of improvement, I honestly couldn't name one; everything was excellent.

Absolutely loved every second of this week with the Kenya Experience team. Everything was flawlessly organized, the people were incredibly welcoming, and the setting was truly breathtaking. Being immersed in the best running culture in the world was inspiring and unforgettable. I can’t recommend this experience enough.

Ich war 10 Tage mit Emanuell auf Safari. Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Amboseli, Masai Mara. Manu war, bzw ist ein topp Guide, sehr guter Fahrer, extremes Wissen, sehr gute Manieren. Die Tour war super organisiert und es wurde auf meinen Gesundheitszustand Rücksicht genommen, so dass ich trotz Schmerzattacken die Safari voll genießen konnte.
Herzlichen Dank an Manu, Team von kenya-experience und elefant-tours. Danke danke danke
Ich buche gerne wieder

It was so incredible, we extended our stay for longer. I cannot praise the Kenya Experience team enough. Pre departure assistance was phenomenal, we were made to feel so welcome on arrival and everything during the trip was organised to perfection - all runs were tailored to all abilities, all guides/pacers were so professional and shared insights into life as a runner in Africa.

Willy, Richard, Emmanuel and the amazing pacers made us feel at home. The pacers who made the experience amazing for me were Gilbert, Adni from Somalia (the captain), Belinda, Amos. There were some incredible experiences such as The Gambia Edwards Foundation, St Patrick's School. I loved the running timetable which reflected real-life Kenyan life. The coach and athlete q and A's were very interesting. I liked the flexibility of the team when you wanted to do something different or miss a session.

Amazing staff, wonderful variety of activities, incredible coaching and training, beautiful environment, delicious food. Felt myself getting stronger and faster and happier by the day

The time in Kenya on this trip has been amazing!

Everything is well organized - the staff around Organizer Willy, Coach Richard, Main Pacer Emmanuel and Photographer Tony are amazing and make you feel welcomed and at home at any time.
The people this camp attracts are amazing as well. It has been a long time, since I have meet so many geniunely kind people in one place!
The experience of the Kenian people and their culture, the exposure to healthy food and the abstinence of certain (in some cases unhealthy) luxuries offer a new perspective, that can help you rethink some of your own bad habits and (hopefully) help you to change them in a sustainable way for the better.

The fact that I have not even come to mention the amazing variety of different runs in a beautiful landscape that I mainly came for says it all - you should really book this trip in a heartbeat!

Everything! From the accommodation, food, coaches, pacers and hospitality! Far beyond expectations! Will come again soon!

An experience never to forget! It met all my expectations and even many more. The organisation of the camp with Willy, Richard and Emmanuel is very good. They will do everything they can to help you, no question is too much. The team of pacers also make you feel good every day, They will always make sure you can do the runs at your own pace. But also definitely a word of praise for the kitchen and maintenance staff. Every day they made sure we got a tasty and nutritious meal, always with a smile. The rooms are also serviced every day, they do your laundry and can also ask them anything should you have a problem somewhere. I can only say: this was my best trip ever and I will definitely go back! Anyone in doubt, just do it!

I visited Iten with the Kenya Experience in August of 2024 and had a truly wonderful experience. I’m a 54 year old masters runner who had plateaued before attending the high-altitude training camp. The two weeks I spent with The Kenya Experience completely changed my entire approach to running. Although I expected the running to be fabulous (and it really was!), I was surprised to learn that the Kenyan approach to running is all encompassing and involves so much more than just the training. Every aspect of the Kenyan lifestyle (nutrition, cross-training, recovery, relaxation) is optimised at the training camp to ensure that everyone can reach their maximum potential – I really can’t thank the Kenya Experience team enough for sharing their knowledge and experience! In particular, the core team of Willy (head of guest relations), Richard (head coach) and Emmanuel (head of the wonderful pacing team) were all bursting with infectious enthusiasm. In the six months immediately after the training camp I ran personal best times at 10K (35), half-marathon (78) and the marathon (2:45) and I’m now challenging for British Championship medals at masters level, thanks to the knowledge I learnt in Kenya. It was a truly inspirational experience and I can’t wait to go back.

Review

I visited the High Altitude training camp in Iten with the Kenya experience last summer and have been dreaming about going back ever since!

Before I booked the trip I had several concerns which Gavin and Callum were able to reassure me about.

I’ll be too slow! Not a problem- I always had a pacer that ran with me at my pace. All of the pacers supplied by Emmanuel were incredibly kind and talented athletes, and all the groups ran different distances/paces to suit everyone‘s needs.

I also had some questions about the diet because I have a gluten intolerance (coeliac disease), but the staff on the camp were really careful with my meals, always happy to discuss ingredients and to provide simple alternatives where necessary- rice instead of pasta, ugali instead of chapati. The food was fresh, healthy and plentiful and the social mealtimes and tea breaks were often a highlight of the day.

Running at altitude certainly is a challenge but Richard the coach, and all the pacers were able to modify the days session to suit everyone‘s training and how they were feeling on that day. We were always pushed out of our comfort zones and yet not too far, the sessions were just hard enough so that we could recover and go again the next day. Runs are often very early in the morning so you witness the most beautiful sunrises, longer runs or track sessions might be mid morning, and there’s the option for evening recovery runs too, or relaxation!

It’s not all running, there were hikes, visits to see the work of a local charity supported by the Kenya experience and visits to the Iten club, plus the infamous killer core workouts which take place 3 times a week. Top tip, practice your planks before you go and be prepared to find muscles that you didn’t know you had!

Willy Songok (head of guest relations) made everyone feel welcome and special, and reassured us that nothing was a problem, although sometimes it was an unexpected experience.

Richard the coach taught us how to run hills, track and do drills, about the importance of balancing your training; prioritising running, simple nutrition and recovering well.

The secrets to Kenyan running success - Run, Eat, Sleep, and follow your heart rate. Do this and your heart might lead you back for a return trip.

We were able to spend two highly recommendable guided training weeks in Kenya. The level of professionalism, but also the warmth and variety of the program were unique. During the stay, we gained insights into the entire spectrum of running training activities, exchanged ideas with top athletes and coaches, had individually graded performance groups with top pacers and benefited from many cultural, social and nature-based activities in addition to running. Many thanks to Willy, Richard, Emmanuel and the whole team for an unforgettable Kenyan experience. Greetings from Switzerland, Marc & Cédric

An experience that totally changed my perspective on running. I traveled more than 12,000 kilometers to fulfill my goal of learning how the best long-distance runners on the planet train. I felt very supported by the training camp organizing staff. Iten is a safe, quiet place where going for a run is always challenging and wonderful. In addition to gaining more knowledge, I was able to learn about its culture, which was fascinating. I definitely want to return in the future. Thank you very much, you are a great team.

Somewhere I have wanted to run for over 10 years since reading "Running with the Kenyans" and it did not disappoint.
From the booking of the camp to travel to Iten and attendance at the camp everything worked like clockwork (just one no show of a local star runner)
There was a range of runners at the camp coming from 14 countries, aged 18 to 70 with a range of running backgrounds and capabilities. A great group of people to spend 2 weeks with.
Willy, Richard and Emmanuel and all the KE pacers (too many to name) provided so many iconic and fantastic run experiences. I wish I had another week or two particularly as I felt I was just beginning to cope with the altitude after 13 days!
I will be back - thank you, thank you, thank you

It was an amazing experience to join the Kenya experience in Iten. The camp was really well organised and every day was fully packed. It really adds value to book this experience instead of going to the HATC on your own. The seminars they organise, the optional Safari and the group of pacers who are there for you to support you. Amazing! If you are into running, and into travel/adventure, book this trip you won't regret it!

Very nice running camp which brings the kenyan way of training to the participants. The organizers have an astonishing passion for running, have run amazing times in the past or invite elite runners or coaches from kenya to share their experience. The individuals connected extremely well and the whole group quickly turned strangers into friends. I was very happy with their organic locally produced food, the sauna with the interesting stories Willy told us or the hard sessions we had on Tuesday and Thursday. For anyone reading this, make sure to take easy sessions easy, like Richard says, easy is supposed to be easy!
If I have to find things to improve then maybe a more individual training plan for the runners, since sometimes it wasn’t that clear how hard to push and the WIFI. Maybe a central network with multiple access points rather than individual routers makes it already better.

This was an amazing experience and a week wasn’t long enough. Willy, Coach Richard and all the team made sure everyone was looked after and knew what to do. Your run pace didn’t matter so this really is an experience for anyone who enjoys running. I met some great runners at the dinner table (2.06 marathon pace!!) and Tuesday Track Training was an experience you will never forget. I’ll definitely be back.