Kenya Experience Reviews 113

Where do I even begin!

Words cannot begin to describe just how special the Kenya Experience is! I have arrived home full of love, gratitude and new running knowledge!

From start to finish, I was blown away by everyone involved in our trip! From the excellent communication from the UK team, to the impeccable care and support we received whilst in Kenya. Every single individual associated with the trip went above and beyond to make it the best experience possible!

If you are considering signing up, don’t hesitate, just do it!! It will be one of the best things you ever do!

Thank you for the best 2 weeks!

This trip was something I had always wanted to do and always dreamt about doing and thankfully there is an organisation like Running Trips making this possible. It is difficult to sum up in words how incredible this trip truly was but I would urge anyone thinking of booking this to stop thinking and just book as you most definitely won't regret it. You get the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the Kenyan culture and learn the Kenyan ways of training. We were extremely fortunate to have an amazing group of people from all over the world and also an amazing group of local pacers who we spent a lot of time with outside of the running and they became great friends. I would also like to give a special mention to the photographer Toni Hiram who is absolutely exceptional at his job and ensures everyone gets marathon race quality photographs everyday to keep as memories despite limited equipment. I will most definitely be returning to Iten in the future.

The Kenya Experience truly immersed me in one of the most rewarding, uplifting and kind-hearted communities I have ever encountered.

Willy, Robert and Emmanuel are a wonderful team and welcomed us all into their world of hard training, hard eating and hard sleeping - a regiment that is made possible thanks to the outstanding facilities and staff present at the HATC.

The camp brought together people from different cultures and backgrounds, some older some younger, elite athletes and novices, and unified us under the shared love of running and adventure.

Thank you for everything. I am already planning my return !

The coach and manager looked into my constraints and developed from that. Two weeks have been a good starting point for my health improvement through running.

Undoubtedly one of my most memorable trips ever .
The coaching team in iten go above and beyond.
The pacers (too many to name ) are outstanding , there headed up by Emanuel who is not just a awesome runner but a great bloke .
willy is what makes everything so smooth and organised ,the perfect person to have at the helm .
Richards coaching is second to none.
Special thanks to toni the camp photographer awesome with a camera and a great all round guy .
Id also like to add the camp is definitely for all abilities and no matter what leval of fitness you are at there's no issues ,I was lucky to spend the camp with so many different nationalitys and personalities ,every one mixed so well together.
Callums communications throughout where spot on aswell .
Thanks all for an amazing experience

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a 2 week running camp but the whole experience absolutely blew me away.

From the runs to the core classes and the introduction to the Kenyan way of life, the whole experience was absolutely incredible.

Thanks to Willy, Richard, Emmanuel, the pacing team and all the staff at the HATC for making the 2 weeks so special.

Running Trips have built something very special and I can’t wait to return next year for more.

A truly outstanding package. Friendly and efficient booking and service from the outset. Remarkable value. Fantastic location in terms of running culture, geography and climate. Great facility with gym, pool and healthy food. A well thought out programme combining a varied training schedule, inspirational speakers, coaches and staff and meeting icons of the sport. Easy access to superb physio and good advice. Sunshine, breathtaking scenery atop the escarpment of the Rift Valley. Passion and enthusiasm delivered in a beautiful way, by a wise, experienced and charismatic team.
A privilege to be there, uplifting and, strong words, but an experience that will be life changing for many.
In a good way :)

As an older runner with leg issues, I was hesitant about joining the Kenya Experience. But from the start, I was treated with caring, thoughtfulness and given wonderful and personalized attention. From Willie's reaching out to me to see if I was "OK," to Peter, my pacer, I felt watched out for and respected. My running mates were also kind, considerate and keep their humor about them. I recommend the Kenya Experience to anyone who wants to take their running to the next level while also experiencing Kenyan Culture first hand!

I'm almost certain you can't find another place to train as unique as HATC! I had no idea I would be training around, let alone next to champions, they also make for a great source of motivation. Most of the town is filled with runners so you're bound to learn and most certainly run better because of it! You won't just learn from the trio, Coach Richard, Emanuel and Willy, wherever you go you'll see and meet other runners, you'll watch their training and pick up tips from them. Kenya Experience has shown me my limits but has also taught me how to break them, credit to the pacers for that!
The food is just what you need and theirs more than enough of it. The people in the camp are from all different backgrounds and running specialities so there's no doubt you will meet some remarkable people. You couldn't ask for more, not to mention they have a fully equipped gym, pool, physio and sauna. Till we meet again Iten!

We did a private camp with Kenya experience and cannot stress enough how amazing the experience was! Willy, Coach Richard and Emmanuel organized a fantastic week filled with all things run plus some activities where we got to learn more about the Iten community, how Kenyans train, and we had the opportunity to visit the Gathimba Edwards Foundation and see their work in action. The HATC itself is a lovely campus with all the amenities you and the food is top notch. Overall, we were sad to leave wishing we had more time to spend with the Kenya Experience and HATC. If you love running, what to learn more about how to training and improve, and learn about Kenyan running culture, I cannot recommend this camp enough!

I was having serious debates with myself to review or not, this camp is already so amazing with more good reviews I might not catch a spot next time 🙈

I've tried out other training camps, unfortunately almost all of them are "infested" with fitness influences and it ruins the entire experience but that's not the case with Kenya Experience everyone is there as the coach said it best "train hard, eat hard, sleep hard".

It really doesn't matter if you can run fast or not the pacers are there to help out and accommodate (I was dead last everyday😂). I haven't felt for a minute that I'm with strangers or in a different country I've actually felt more at home and more closer to the people I've met there than those I already know, they really know what a warm welcome is all about, I'm so grateful for each and everyone of them coaches, pacers, cameraman, group members the most amazing people I've ever met.

The runs are challenging but you make them your level of challenging, showing up and doing your very best it's the only requirement.

Now that is over I look back and wonder if that was a dream or not, to make sure it was real I'll have to go back and do it again ❤️

One thing I'm sure of I wouldn't have had so much fun if I wouldn't have done it with Kenya Experience!

Thank you Kenya Experience, Running trips, Songok Willy, Richard, Emmanuel and every single member of staff who put all this thing together ❤️

Best wishes,
Carmina

Amazing experience, well organized, respectfully curated. A perfect blend of running, inspiration and challenge!

Thank you very much for giving me one of the most important experiences of my life. Can't wait to come again next year

I attended HATC Iten as part of Running Trips 2 week Keynian experience In December 2023.
I had researched the companies,excellent track record on the website and You tube ,so was aware of what the RT programme offered and running experience required.
The trip has surpassed all my expectations and if you are passionate about running ,then this is a MUST DO experience.
It was my first trip to Africa and has been Life changing.

I learned alot, made great friends and wonderful memories

Wonderful, enjoyable
Thanks a lot for kenya experience

Informative and inclusive weekend of training.

"The Kenya Experience" lives up to its name by offering an amazing and well-organized opportunity for individuals who want to immerse themselves in Kenyan culture, lifestyle, and training in this enchanting location. Willy Songok is the heart and soul of the Kenya Experience, always striving to make it the most unforgettable journey you will ever have.

Coach Richard is readily available to assist, explain, and guide, while the incredible pacers group helps participants understand the Kenyan approach to running and provides support throughout each run. Additionally, we had the privilege of interacting with numerous elite Kenyan athletes and coaches.

It's important to note that this program is not solely a training camp, but rather an introductory experience to Iten and the Kenyan training methods. Nonetheless, it is an absolutely worthwhile experience that is bound to leave you yearning to return to Iten as soon as possible.

I extend my gratitude to the "Kenya Experience" for creating such lasting memories and emotions!

Being in Iten exceed my expetations! People there are great! They all made us feel welcomed there ! The high altitude training center is a great place to stay has everything we need! The Kenya experience team was very friendly as well! They were great on pacing each one of us in every training while explaining to us everything we needed to know, regarding training, the place etc. Apart from the training kenya experience had arranged a lot of interesting activities for us such as the safari, walks to the city of Iten, St. Patricks school visit etc and were always there to help us arrange something more that we might needed. Overall, I am very pleased wth the experience! One minor thing I would like to point out is that if someone is really interested in going to Iten in order to improve his her training performance with a specific race target, Kenya experience might not be the ideal way to do so, since, from my experience, the group is usally a variety of running levels and consiquently it is not easily to adjust the training to each ones needs. But yet again, the Kenya experience is only two weeks long and obviously noone should expect major improvements in only two weeks in altitude, given the fact that we usually need about 3-4 days to aclimataize to the altitude. Overall, Kenya experiece is the best way to get to know Iten, learn everything you need to do, check if Iten suits your training and lifestyle and if so decide whether you want to go again or extend your stay.