Link: Kenyan Cross-Country System

The three-week torment is preceded by a five-month build-up which specifically prepares Kenya's team members for survival in the Embu cauldron - and the subsequent conquering of top runners from around the globe at the World Championships. Although the severe Embu exertions couldn't be completed without the five months of groundwork, the outside world has focused its attention primarily on Embu, and not on the more important build-up period. In the paragraphs that follow, we'll describe the key features of the five-month Kenyan training programme, which consistently produces the best cross-country runners on the planet.

Link: Inside Kenyan Training by Toby Tanser

Ndereba uses a lighter mileage than her peers, running only between 75 to 90 miles per week. "This way I can keep my body fresh, and recovered," she reasons. The focus she puts on her key marathons is extreme to the extent she will not extend herself in any session, even tune-up races, when honing in on the big day. Thus, she often falls in the world rankings during her key tune-up period.

Link: Kenyan Training Principles

It is in the basetraining phase LT training plays an extremely important part. My experience from training with the Kenyas, even the very young ones, is that they go right under their LT on almost all the sessions. They start out slow, on maybe an hour run. Then they go faster and faster as the go along, until they have reached the zone right below their LT. This is where they will continue for the rest of the run.

Link: Kenyan Training for Juniors

Training program for St. Patrick High School, Kenya – the “birthplace” of runners such as Charles & Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Peter Rono, Matthew Birir, Helen Kimaiyo, Wilson Kipketer, Japhet Kimutai, Sally Barsosio, Rose Cheruiyot, Joseph Tengelei, Benson Koech, David Kiptoo, Lydia Cheromei and Julius Chelule. (age 14-18 year)

Young Kenyan Training

How the Young Kenyan Athletes are Training

Iten Athletics training camp, December 1998

Training program for St. Patrick High School, Kenya – the “birthplace” of runners such as Charles & Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Peter Rono, Matthew Birir, Helen Kimaiyo, Wilson Kipketer, Japhet Kimutai, Sally Barsosio, Rose Cheruiyot, Joseph Tengelei, Benson Koech, David Kiptoo, Lydia Cheromei and Julius Chelule. (age 14-18 year)

(complied by Joseph Ngure and Brother Colm O’Connell)

Mon :

am (men) 8-9 km and stretching

am (women) 6-7 km and stretching

pm (men) Long run 45-60 minutes (12-14 km)+excercises

pm (women) Long run 45-60 minutes (10-12 km)+exercises

Tue :

am (men) 8 km 27-30 minutes

am (women) 6 km 25 minutes

pm (men/women) 10 munutes w/up,Fartlek for 60-75 minutes – 2 minutes hard/3 minutes easy or 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy+exercises

Wed :

am (men) 9 km pace endurance 60 % and flexibility

am (women) 7 km pace endurance 60 % and flexibilitypm (men/women) Circuit training 4×2 min each, 3×2 min each. Then 100 meteres striding plus long strides for 45 minutes

Thu :

am (men/women) Long slow 60 minutes over mixed terrainpm (men/women) 15 min. runs. Then diagonal drills for 30-35 minutes, 10 minutes dynamics

Fri :

am (men) 8 km easy 30 %

am (women) 6 km easy 30 % plus dynamicspm (men/women) Hill reps. 120-200 meters x 14 at 60 % pace.

Sat :

am (men/women) striding for 40 minutes over 100-120 metrespm (men/women) Competition or speed play over 1-1 mins. or 500 meters

Sun :

am (men) easy 8 km

am (women) easy 6 kmpm (men/women) active rest

Comment by Marius : St. Patrick High School is located about 35 minutes drive from Eldoret (2150 meters altitude) and is around 2500 meters above sea level. It is very hilly and all training is done on soft red cinder. If you look at the training program, from the experience I have had when visiting Iten training camp – and the talks Frank Evertsen has had with O’Colm (O’Colm has also visited Frank in Norway) – all long runs, except the one labeled “easy 30 %” and “the long slow run in terrain”, is AT running. Even for these very young ones.

Twice a week before the real racing season starts (spring) the athletes go down to around 1000 meters (in the Valley only 20 minutes drive) to do speed work. So “high-low” training has hit Kenya as well

It is also interesting that the home of 800 meter runners like Wilson Kipketer and Kimutai emphasizes speed work so much. Lots of drills and striding – even as main workouts. That might be one of the reasons why Kenyas top 800 meter runners come from St.Patrick. If you look at the program, they run 13 sessions and one “active rest” at very young age – and at high speed. The “fartlek” on Tuesday I observed in 1999 and it was VO2 max training. So in one week, they have 2 Vo2 max sessions (Tuesday and Saturday) 2-3 speed sessions (Wednesday and Thursday, plus partly Saturday morning) and one speed endurance session (hill reps on Friday). This comes in addition to the 4 AT sessions/week (the “long runs”) and two easy runs (am Friday and am Thursday……even though I would suggest that this last one does not go very easy at the end )….so there you have it……the Kenyan training at a young age. AT training, speed and Vo2 max sessions….and competitions year around almost….try it on 14 year old Norwegians or Americans and let them enjoy…….at 2500 meters altitude

For the spring training in Iten and more info on St.Patrick High School : look at the web page http://www.iatfcc.org/Kenyan.html . This page adds some good stuff to the program I have shown you here (that I got down in Kenya from a friend). On the page you can also see the all time best list for former St. Patrick High School students in the 800 meters (as of 1996 – later Kimutai has run 1.42s and Kipketer 1.41low ) :