2024-07-16 09:43:49
Training with the greatest champions in the world alongside Olympic champions is possible. In Kenya, tourism is a growing market. Every year, hundreds of experts and professionals from all over the world come to Iten, a small town at an altitude of 2,400m in the Rift Valley. History is the birthplace of champions.
On the side of the road, Timothy stuck to a group of Kenyan runners. In a few weeks, this French athlete will race Saint-Malo. Today, he trains in the same ways as an Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge. « It is a choice to be there, regardless of the cost, said that this sportsman’s sponsorship paid around 2,000 euros for a three-week stay in Iten. I wanted to see what it was to iron with the best. »
« It’s very, very hard, show Timothy. There is a small acclimatization phase of one week. Even on fairly slow jogs, I was very out of breath. But studying with Kenyans is beyond what you might think. Everyone studies hard, so we don’t really talk. We didn’t feel like the loser of the group, but we learned a great lesson in humility. »
A “profit” market
In Run’Ix Timoteu decided to settle. Run’Ix offers a training center for everyone, in the land of champions. ” We will be filled with tourists from all over the world, explained co-founder Romain Gillig. We offer accommodation dedicated to working with room, four meals a day, laundry, machine recovery: knee pressotherapy, gun massage. We also have a fitness room equipped with bicycles, and we also offer massage. »
« Our runner’s up is Iten, confirms Romain Gillig, who came to the Rift Valley for the first time in 2017. Many training centers have opened, and brands have established themselves for their athletes. You have a profit. »
Working tourism: a professional opportunity
Today Run’Ix employs twelve employees. Some come from the racing world, like Jacob, now a masseur. Like many young athletes, he came to Iten hoping to see. But success is not there.
The development of tourism offers ua professional opportunities. “ It’s good. I’m not saying it’s better than running but it’s better because life is so hard, he said. At that time, no one supported me. I have to run and support myself. Fortunately I learned massage and my life improved. »
« I started working in 2011 and stopped in 2016. Now I can pay rent, buy food, I can pay for everything. It’s good now. »
Iten is home to more than 5,000 athletes. Less than thirty will have a professional career. There will even be a few of them who win major races.
#Tourism #Kenya