High-altitude Kenyan town Iten adapts as Olympic champions and amateurs flock to rarefied air

Maltese athletes in the company of locals train along the Iten-Kaptagat road in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

Maltese athletes in the company of locals train along the Iten-Kaptagat road in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Njuguna)


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ITEN, Kenya — The sleepy Kenyan town of Iten attracts a wide array of long-distance runners from Olympic champions to amateurs. All are here because Iten lies at about 8,000 feet above sea level and has produced some of the best long-distance runners in the world. To cater to the ever-growing interest from both professional and amateur athletes, hotels, lodges and short-stay rental apartments continue to spring up around the town. Iten was declared a World Athletics Heritage Landmark in 2019 and proudly calls itself the "Home of Champions."

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