UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme ... - Fidal Lombardia

UKA/London Marathon 

Altitude Programme Annual Report 

2010/11 

Prepared by: Spencer Barden and Ian Stewart

CONTENTS 

1. Introduction 3 

2. UKA/LM Altitude Model and Venues 4-5 

3. World Leading Sport Science and Support 6 

4. Font Romeu, France –Spring and Pre Barcelona Camp 7 

5. Iten, Kenya – Winter Camp 2010/11 8 

6. Case Study 9-10 

7. The Marathon 11 

8. Conclusion 12 

9. Appendices 12-23

1. 

INTrOdUCTION 

UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde tRAInIng CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt | 3 

Altitude training - in the modern era – is used by the majority 

of the world’s best endurance athletes from 800m to Marathon. 

UK endurance athlete and coach pairings need to be exposed to the 

benefits of training at altitude if they are to challenge the best in 

the world, and this is especially true in the long endurance events. 

Group training at altitude is a philosophy that is a key element of 

the UKA Endurance Strategy. 

Over the past twelve months UKA and London Marathon have worked in partnership to deliver 

an extensive endurance altitude programme. London Marathon’s investment has enabled UKA 

to create, for the first time ever, a centrally coordinated and supported approach to altitude 

training for athletes and coaches in Font Romeu, France and Iten, Kenya. 

The opportunity for athletes to train at altitude is promoted widely through a UKA/LM 

advertisement, the UKA website, England Athletics and through direct contact with 

athletes and coaches. The advert invites athletes and coaches to apply for a place on each 

of the camps. Athlete selection for each of the altitude camps involves UKA endurance 

staff Ian Stewart, Spencer Barden, George Gandy and John Nuttall; Mick Woods and 

Craig Winrow at St.Mary’s College have also been part of the identification and selection 

process, with approval from Dave Bedford at London Marathon on all selected athletes. 

The UKA/London Marathon altitude programme delivers access to altitude training for UK 

athletes and coaches in a managed, supported, and sustainable environment rather than 

resourcing athletes to fund their own camps. 

This is to ensure the following benefits: 

a) It is essential that athletes and coaches using altitude for the first time are correctly 

educated and prepared to ensure they maximise the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls. 

b) A centrally coordinated programme enables UKA to provide appropriate and expert 

support personnel – pre, during and post camp; 

c) The UKA endurance team firmly believe that group training offers greater benefit than 

individual training; 

d) It is important to ensure that coaches as well as athletes benefit from the provision. 

UKA National Event Coach George Gandy is a big believer in the benefits athletes gain from 

training and preparing at altitude: 

“In my opinion the UKA and London Marathon altitude programme is the most significant 

advance I have seen in UK endurance running for thirty years,” he said.

2. 

UKA/LM ALTITUdE 

MOdEL ANd vENUES 

The UKA/LM altitude programme was almost twelve months in the planning, 

throughout which period a number of potential group training altitude venues 

were explored. Altitude training bases were initially considered through 

dialogue with a number of the leading UK athletes and coaches who regularly 

train at altitude, in addition to overseas athletes and coaches from the 

endurance world. 

Options were subsequently discussed with Exercise Physiologists Dr Barry 

Fudge and Professor Andy Jones, both of whom have a huge amount of 

experience in working with athletes at altitude.

“ Training at altitude is so 

important to me as an 

athlete – you have to train 

like the best in the world 

if you want to beat them.” 

Mo Farah 

Mo Farah has been a 

regular at the UKA/ 

London Marathon 

altitude camps in Font 

Romeu and Iten 


Fudge’s PhD focused on the environmental factors leading to 

the success of elite east African runners. During that time he 

worked with elite runners in Kenya and Ethiopia, a number of 

whom are World Record holders and/or World and Olympic 

medallists (e.g. Keninisa Bekele, Eluid Kipchoge, Felix Limo, 

Brimin Kipruto, Geleta Burka, Sileshi Sihine and others). 

Jones has been working with and advising Paula Radcliffe 

on her altitude strategy for the past 15 years, including 

conducting regular lab tests in Loughborough. More recently, 

he has been advising and working with Mara Yamauchi on her 

altitude strategy. 

The two altitude venues chosen by UKA and LM were Font 

Romeu, France and Iten, Kenya. Both are established altitude 

venues at 1800m (6000ft) and 2385m (8000ft) respectively. 

Key to the venue selection process was giving consideration to 

the preferred time of year to take large groups of UK athletes 

and coaches to altitude. These were identified as being two 

periods of four to five weeks; spring (April/May) and autumn/ 

winter (Oct/Nov). 

In addition to the core ‘large group’ altitude camps, a rotational 

model of exposure to altitude with smaller groups is also 

integral to the altitude programme. This involves approximately 

three to six week blocks at high altitude and four 

to six week blocks at sea level, periodising the 

exposure to altitude to best prepare athletes 

and support the key domestic and international 

track, cross country and road events, including 

annual major Championships. The periodisation 

altitude model prolongs the time athletes spend 

at altitude so that the potential benefits can be 

maximised over a twelve month period. 

This is a model favoured by British athletes 

including Mo Farah, Chris Thompson and 

Paula Radcliffe. 

“There’s no doubt that training at altitude in Kenya and Font 

Romeu has made me a better athlete,” says Farah. “The 

support of UKA and London Marathon means I’ve had the 

opportunity to increase the amount of time I’ve spent in these 

locations, but also to increase the benefits due to the rigorous 

scientific support and planning. You have to train like the 

best in the world if you want to beat them. I’ve no doubt that it 

contributed to my major successes in 2010, helping me to win 

double gold in Barcelona.”

6 | UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde tRAInIng CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 

Number of PB’s 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Figure 1 

3. 

WOrLd LEAdING 

SpOrT SCIENCE 

ANd SUppOrT 

Professor Andy Jones and Dr Barry Fudge 

are an essential part of the UKA/LM altitude 

programme team, educating and advising athletes 

and coaches. All athletes and coaches involved 

in the UKA/LM altitude training camp follow 

the physiological monitoring protocol set up for 

altitude training, which ensures athletes are 

best prepared prior to going to altitude, adapt to 

the altitude once at the venue and are reviewed 

when returning to sea level. The protocol set 

up by Jones and Fudge involves pre and post 

altitude laboratory/field work, and adaptation 

monitoring whilst at altitude. A key element within 

this process is blood profiling, which ensures all 

athletes have sufficient iron levels prior to going 

to altitude. As well as being part of the education 

process in exposing athletes and coaches to 

altitude training, the exercise physiologists will be 

able to provide specific feedback to the athletes 

and coaches to ensure they are maximising 

their time at altitude and are benefiting from the 

potential gains associated with responding well to 

altitude conditions. 

0.8 

2008 

*Statistically significant 

PB’s Progression of race times 

0.9 

*1.4 

2009 2010 

1.6 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0 

Progression of race times from previous year (%) 

Data produced by Dr Barry Fudge highlights 

some of the progressions made in performances 

made by UK athletes who have been training 

at altitude: At the group level, there were 43 

personal best performances (800m to 10,000m 

event groups) completed by the athletes that 

attended the Font-Romeu camp for four weeks 

prior to the 2010 track season. After normalising 

the data (i.e. discounting athletes who did not 

have three years competition data and/or athletes 

who completed their previous personal best 

performances indoors) there were 24 personal 

best performances from 14 athletes in the 2010 

track season compared to just 15 in 2009 and 16 

in 2008 (800m to 10,000m event groups). Given 

that these athletes were highly trained, it may be 

expected that the rate of progression would be 

similar or gradually smaller for each subsequent 

year. In the present group the rate of progression 

in performance was 0.8%, 0.9% and 1.4% in 

2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively (see figure 1). 

Therefore this data suggests that a four week 

training period at altitude may be beneficial for 

subsequent endurance running performance, 

equating to about 0.5% improvement in 

progression of race times compared to sea level 

training.

4. 

FONT rOMEU, FrANCE - 

SprING CAMp 2010 

Nestled in the French Pyrenees, 1800m (6000ft) 

above sea level, Font Romeu has been a popular 

base in Europe for many of the world’s best 

endurance athletes in recent years, including Paula 

Radcliffe who has a permanent base there. 

In the spring of 2010 (mid April to mid May) 

UKA, with support from London Marathon, held 

its main altitude camp for 3-4 weeks in Font 

Romeu. The group consisted of World Class 

Programme, Futures, Aviva GB&NI Team athletes 

and a number of developing athletes linked to the 

National Performance Centre at Loughborough 

and Regional Centres, such as Birmingham and 

St.Mary’s. The Font Romeu camp catered for 28 

athletes and various support staff, of which details 

are listed here. 

prEpArATION CAMp 

prE ThE EUrOpEAN ChAMpS 

A group of endurance athletes used Font Romeu 

to prepare for the European Championships. 

The group consisted of Mo Farah, Chris 

Thompson, Jemma Simpson, Lee Merrien, 

Michelle Ross Cope, Helen Decker, Jo Jackson, 

Martin Williams and Ben Moreau. 

From that group, Farah won double gold in the 

5000m and 10000m, Thompson took 10000m silver, 

Merrien finished eighth and first GB & NI team 

member in the marathon, Ross-Cope and Decker 

won team bronze in the marathon and Jo Jackson 

finished 10th in the 20k walk; she went on to win 

Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi in October. 

The preparation camp was a huge success and 

a similar preparation camp will be in operation 

prior to the World Championships in Daegu and 

the London 2012 Olympics. 


Spring 2010: 

• 28 x Athletes (i.e. Mo Farah, Lisa Dobriskey and 

Laura Kenney) 

• 1 x Camp manager 

• 2 x Personal coaches 

• 3 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall 

and Alasdair donaldson) 

• 3 x Physiotherapists 

• 2 x Exercise Physiologists 

• 1 x Doctor 

• 1 x Strength and Conditioning coach 

Note: not all support staff are there for a four week period, 

the staffing support is split across the camp 

The preparation camp costs prior to Barcelona 

were funded from the Championship budget and 

the Marathon team European Team Cup budget. 

Chris Thompson who prepared for the European 

Championships in Font Romeu, said: 

“The altitude camps have helped to me to focus 

solely on my running and put the edge on my 

fitness. I have found that my aerobic capacity has 

improved immensely through the camps being at 

altitude and this without doubt played a huge part 

in me gaining my silver medal in the European 

Championships this summer. My blood profiling 

has increased in ways impossible to recreate at 

sea level, and given me great confidence.”


5. 

ITEN, KENyA – 

AUTUMN/WINTEr 

2010/11 

Located at 2385m (8000ft) above sea level in the 

escarpment of the Rift Valley, the majority of the 

Kenyan athletes are born within a 50-mile radius of 

the town, whilst estimates put about 800 plus elite 

athletes from around the world training in Iten. 

The main autumn/winter camp operated in Kenya 

for 4-6 weeks through October-November 2010. 

The group consisted of World Class Programme, 

Futures, GB&NI Team athletes and a number 

of developing athletes linked to the National 

Performance Centre at Loughborough and Regional 

Centres, such as Birmingham and St.Mary’s and 

other talented athletes around the UK. 

Autumn/Winter 2010: 

• 26 x Athletes (i.e. Mo Farah, Marilyn Okoro, 

helen Clitheroe, Charlene Thomas, Kate Avery, 

James Brewer, Andrew Osagie, and 

Colin McCourt) 



• 3 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall 

and Alasdair donaldson) 



• 1 x Doctor 

• 1 x Soft Tissue Therapist 

Note: not all support staff are there for a four week period, 

the staffing support is split across the camp. 

Winter (Jan – April) 2011: 

Continuing on from a successful altitude camp pre 

Christmas in Iten, there was considerable interest 

in the January camp, much more than initially 

anticipated. This was in part due to the positive 

feedback and key performance indicators shown 

by athletes who had previously attended the camps 

and our ability to fund more places with London 

Marathon funding. 

Details are below of the Jan – April camp, detailing 

the breakdown of camp personnel and some of the 

key athletes. 

24 x Athletes (i.e. Hannah England, Marilyn 

Okoro, Lee Merrien, Charlene Thomas, helen 

Clitheroe, James Brewer, Andrew Osagie, Ben 

Whitby, Andy Baddeley and Colin McCourt) 



• 2 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall) 



• 1 x Soft Tissue Therapist 

Helen Clitheroe in particular returned to the UK 

in outstanding form and almost immediately 

reduced her 3000m best to 8:39.81 to go sub- 

8:40 for the first time. She went to the European 

Indoor Championships ranked number one on the 

continent and didn’t disappoint, racing to gold and 

her first ever major Championship medal. 

A number of athletes on the camp sent emails 

containing positive feedback (see appendices).

6. 

CASE STUdy: 

hELEN CLIThErOE, 

IMpACT OF ALTITUdE TrAINING 

ON hEr phySIOLOGICAL prOFILE. 

Some of the physiological factors 

that are known to be related to 

endurance running performance 

include: maximal O2 uptake (VO2max), 

running economy, and the fractional 

utilisation of the VO2max (which is 

itself related to markers of blood 

lactate accumulation during exercise, 

including the lactate threshold 

(LT) and lactate turn-point (LTP). 

Physiological laboratory testing 

measures these factors and repeated 

testing provides information on 

progression of these key markers 

as well assessment of recent 

training prescription (including the 

impact of training practices such 

as altitude training). This brief case 

study of Helen Clitheroe is to provide 

a specific example of the impact 

altitude training can have on the 

physiology of an athlete with particular 

reference to racing performance. 

Altitude training 

From a physiological perspective 

the main benefit of altitude training 

is to increase the number of red 

blood cells (haemoglobin mass). 

Red blood cells are the vehicle by 

which oxygen is delivered round 

the body to the working muscles; in 

general terms the more red blood 

cells the greater the aerobic work 

capacity. For example an increase in 

haemoglobin concentration of 0.3 g/ 

dL will theoretically result in a 1% 

improvement in VO2max. There are 

also other physiological benefits 

from living and/or exercising in a low 

oxygen environment. For example 

altitude training can generally 

enhance many other key aerobic 

elements such as increased capillary 

number and length, increased 

number of mitochondria, improved 

blood lactate removal and improved 

muscle buffer capacity to name a few. 

physiology of helen Clitheroe 

Helen has had physiological testing 

completed for a number of years 

that consists of a warm up of 10 min 

followed by a multi-stage incremental 

treadmill protocol, typically involving 

5-7 exercise stages, each of 3 min 

duration. The test is designed to 

monitor progression in key variables 

(see above) and also to generate 

Blood (La) (mM) 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

Table 1: Key physiological markers over a series of tests. 


accurate training zones by measuring 

blood lactate concentration, heart 

rate and oxygen uptake throughout 

the test. Shifting the LT and/or LTP 

to a higher speed is an important 

goal of endurance training. The 

lactate concentration at any speed 

should be lower (downward shift in 

the lactate curve) and the LT and 

LTP should occur at higher speeds 

(rightward shift in the lactate 

curve) with endurance training. In 

addition, HR should be lower for a 

given speed (downward shift in HR 

curve). Figure 2 and Table 1 detail 

(La)-Mar 11 (La)-Dec 10 (La)-Jan 08 (La)-Mar 07 

HR-Mar 11 HR-Dec 10 HR-Jan 08 HR-Mar 07 

13 14 15 16 17 

Speed (km/h) 

18 19 20 21 

Figure 2: Aerobic profile over a series of tests. 

Test: 1 2 3 4 

date: Mar-11 dec-10 Jan-08 Mar-07 

Body mass (kg): 57.4 58.4 59.0 58.9 

LT (km/h): 17.0 16.5 16.0 16.0 

LTP (km/h): 19.0 18.5 18.0 18.0 

Economy (mL O2/kg/km): 214 207 199 199 

VO2max (mL/kg/min): 76 73 70 66 

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

Heart Rate (beats/min)


CASE STUdy CONTINUEd 

Helen’s aerobic profile over a series 

of four tests. It can be seen that there 

has been a dramatic shift in her 

aerobic profile between December 

2010 and March 2011 with some 

changes evident in December 2010 

compared to previous tests. For 

an athlete of Helen’s calibre and 

running experience such changes 

are extremely difficult to achieve and 

are usually the result of year on year 

progression rather than a dramatic 

shift. This may to a large degree be 

explained by a number of repeated 

altitude exposures. Prior to the 

December 2010 test Helen undertook 

a four week period of training in 

Iten, Kenya (2450m above sea level) 

and prior to the March 2011 test 

she undertook a further four week 

training block in Kenya. 

Table 2 details predicted racing 

potential based on known fixed 

physiological values. It is clear that 

the physiological changes evident 

after repeated altitude trips (Table 

1 and Figure 2) have the potential to 

influence racing performance over 

a wide number of events significantly. 

Test Mar-11 Dec-10 Jan-08 Mar-07 Prediction 

3000m 08:27.86 08:30.41 08:31.71 09:02.73 100% vVo2max 

5000m 14:50.98 14:55.46 14:57.74 15:52.15 97% vVo2max 

10000m 31:34.74 32:25.95 33:20.00 33:20.00 Using LtP 

Marathon 2:28:55 2:32:43 2:37:30 2:37:30 Using Lt 

Table 2: predicted racing potential. vVO2max = velocity at VO2max 

Summary 

• Altitude training can enhance key 

physiological markers greater than 

expected from sea level training 

alone. 

• Repeat altitude exposures likely 

have an additive effect resulting in 

larger gains than one trip alone. 

• The gains (as evidenced by key 

physiological markers) have the 

potential to significantly improve 

racing performance over a wide 

range of events.

7. 

ThE MArAThON 

A number of athletes who took part in the 2011 Virgin 

London Marathon had spent periods at the UKA/London 

Marathon Altitude Training Camp in Kenya, including Lee 

Merrien who was the first British athlete to finish in 14th 

in a lifetime best of 2:14:27. 

Merrien – who finished eighth in the 2010 European 

Championships marathon in Barcelona following a period 

of training at the UKA/LM camp in Font Romeu, France - 

has spent over two months training in Kenya this winter 

(2010/11), and following his recent selection for the IAAF 

World Championships Marathon in Daegu this summer, 

will return to the UKA/LM spring/summer camp in Font 

Romeu prior to the event. 

In addition to Merrien, Helen Decker, team bronze 

medallist in the European Championships marathon in 

July 2010 and also a beneficiary of the spring/summer 

Font Romeu camp, finished 27th in the Virgin London 

Marathon in 2:35:43. 

Linked to the marathon specifically, Decker – as 

evidenced in the following charts - is proven to have a 

significant increase in fat oxidation following a period of 

training at altitude in Kenya which is a key determinant of 

performance; to get round the marathon an elite athlete 

needs around 5-6kcal/min at marathon pace from fat 

oxidation, anything less and they will likely hit the wall 

and/or run a lot slower than they should. 

In addition, the data produced by Dr Barry Fudge 

(section 3) identified the potential 0.5% improvement in 

performance for endurance events (800m – 10,000m), 

which is significant for athletes preparing or moving 

towards the Marathon or currently preparing for the event 

over the shorter distances. 

The altitude strategy that has been developed through the 

support from London Marathon will continue to ensure 

that key Marathon athletes are given the opportunity to 

train at altitude. They can prepare for the Virgin London 

Marathon during the January to April period, and look 

to achieve qualifying times for the forthcoming major 

Championship Marathon. 

Marathon athletes selected for the World Championships 

in Daegu and the London Olympics will all have 

the opportunity to train in Font Romeu prior to the 

Championships, thus ensuring the Marathon athletes are 

best prepared. 

30.00 

25.00 

20.00 

15.00 

10.00 

5.00 

0.00 

30.00 

25.00 

20.00 

15.00 

10.00 

5.00 

0.00 


CHO (kcal/min) 

14 15 16 17 18 19 

pre altitude fat oxidation 

CHO (kcal/min) 

Fat (kcal/min) 

Fat (kcal/min) 

ChO/Fat 

ChO/Fat 

15 16 17 18 19 20 

post altitude changes in fat oxidation


8. 

CONCLUSION 

The altitude camps have been well 

supported to date and going forward, a 

stronger focus will be put on ensuring 

that our key endurance athletes maximise 

the opportunity to train at altitude as we 

move towards 2012 and beyond. Already 

the interest for future camps has been 

extremely positive, and word on how good 

the camps are is spreading back to the UK 

from those who have been to Font Romeu 

and Iten. The important factor is that over 

the past 12 – 18 months the investment into 

the altitude programme, not just in pounds, 

but in man-hours in terms of organisation 

and camp management/support, is actually 

having a positive and progressive impact on 

athlete performances. 

The January 2011 camp in Kenya was the 

most successful to date with a selection 

of the UK’s best endurance athletes in 

attendance. This highlights that key athletes, 

some of whom are serious Championship 

9. 

AppENdICES 

From Steve Shaw, coach to Ricky Stevenson 

Sent: 28 February 2011 21:04 

To: Spencer Barden 

Subject: Re: Kenya 

Hello Spencer. 

Again, a big thank you to you and UK Athletics 

for sending Rick and I on the most inspiring 

experience in Kenya, It’s a trip we will never 

forget. The vision I have as a coach is simple, 

from what I’ve seen in Kenya, the more trips to 

Kenya the better, working in groups or with the 

Kenyan’s at certain times is the key to future 

success, if we don’t we might as well give in, 

a sad thing to say but that’s just how I saw it. 

Ricky and I learned so much out there, so 

thank you again. 

medal contenders, are now using altitude to 

enhance their performance. 

The online survey feedback through online 

survey tool ‘survey monkey’ has provided 

some useful information from athletes and 

coaches to help fine tune the athlete camps 

to make then event better. For example, 

UKA will look to support future altitude 

camps in Kenya with a UKA nutritionist, in 

addition to purchasing mountain bikes to 

help the coaches and relevant support staff 

to accompany athletes on training runs. 

Going forward, as the altitude programme 

continues to expand, consideration should 

be given to acquiring land/property in 

Kenya and Font Romeu. Given the altitude 

programme is a long term project it will 

probably be more cost effective to own a 

property/base at altitude. 

From Emma Pallant 

Sent: 03 February 2011 10:14 

To: Ian Stewart; Spencer Barden 

Subject: Thank you 

Dear Ian, Spencer and Dave, 

I just wanted to write to you all to say thank you so much for the 

past three weeks altitude training in Kenya. I arrived back in the 

early hours of this morning and I am missing it already. I have never 

before had the opportunity to dedicate three weeks to the one thing 

that I love doing, running. This wouldn’t have been possible without 

the superb choice of venue, generous sponsor of London Marathon 

and fantastic organisation by UKA endurance. I know that if you 

want to be the best there is no easy path to get there and I love 

working hard for it but guys like you, putting on camps like these 

help to clear that path so that we can then work even harder. I felt 

that all my needs were provided for, from the basics such as good 

food and drink to the training essentials such as the presence of my 

coach, Mick. I am extremely grateful for the hard work you are all 

putting into our sport and in particular my personal development. 

Many Thanks 

Emma Emma Pallant Pallant

ALTITUDE 

TRAINING 

OPPORTUNITIES 

UKA and London Marathon are pleased to announce the 2011 

and early 2012 altitude training camp programme for UK 

endurance athletes. 

Following the successful implementation of the UKA/London Marathon 

altitude programme throughout 2010, the key objective for the altitude 

strategy going forward is to continue to provide athletes and coaches 

with the opportunity to train in a group environment within a managed 

and supported programme in Font Romeu (France) and Iten (Kenya) 

at heights of 1850m and 2350m above sea level respectively. 

The main camps will be supported by a team of UKA support staff 

including coaches, physiotherapists, doctors, soft tissue therapists 

and exercise physiologists. 

The UKA/London Marathon altitude programme has already had a 

positive impact with a number of successful performances throughout the 

2010 summer season including Mo Farah’s double European 

Championships gold over 5,000m and 10,000m and Chris Thompson’s 

European Championships silver at 10,000m following periods of altitude 

training in Iten and Font Romeu. Jo Jackson – who finalised her 

preparations for the European Championships 20km Walk in Font Romeu 

and finished tenth – went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi. 

The positive feedback surrounding the altitude programme and the 

continued forward momentum in UK endurance running has meant 

that the altitude camps are now becoming increasing popular, 

especially amongst some of the UK’s leading endurance athletes. 

Description 

(2011/early 2012 altitude camps) 

Spring Training Camp 

Summer Training Camp and 

Preparation Camp pre World 

Champs (Daegu) 

Winter Training Camp 

Training Camp – Indoor/Cross 

Country/Road Race Season 

If you have any questions on the above please contact: 

UKA National Endurance Senior Coordinator - Spencer Barden 

by email sbarden@uka.org.uk 


Closing date for 

Departure and return dates Location 

expression of interest @Altitude 

Depart: 11 or 18 April 2011 

Return: 2 May or 13 May 2011 

Font Romeu, France 31 January 2011 3-4 weeks 

(option to stay longer for WCPP or Futures funded athletes) 

Depart: 21 June – Agreed return dates - 

UK Champs/Trials/various DL meets/World Champs 

Depart: 23 July – Agreed return dates for World Champs - 

Primarily Marathon athletes selected for Daegu 

Depart: 1 August – Agreed return dates for World Champs 

Depart: 27 October or 10 November 2011 

Return: 24 November or 8 December 2011 

The camps are open to all UK endurance athlete and coach pairings, 

however, the availability for places funded by UKA/London Marathon 

for 2011 will be prioritised from the list below. If availability allows at 

each venue, athletes and coaches are welcome to attend the camps 

on a self funded basis. 

UKA/London Marathon funded places will be prioritised as follows: 

1. World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) athletes 

2. UKA ‘Futures’ Programme athletes 

3. Current GB&NI team athletes (GB&NI representation in the 

12 months prior to the start of each camp) 

4. UKA and London Marathon nominated athletes and coaches 

5. Home Country Federation nominated coaches 

(linked to coach development initiatives through the 

National Coach Mentor programme) 

The UKA/London Marathon altitude camp programme is detailed 

below. Any UK endurance athletes who fulfil the above criteria and 

are interested in attending any future altitude training camps should 

in the first instance express their interest before the relevant closing 

dates with UKA National Endurance Senior Coordinator Spencer 

Barden by email sbarden@uka.org.uk with details of the camp they 

would like to attend. 

Font Romeu, France N/A 3-6 weeks 

Iten, Kenya 31 August 2011 3-5 weeks 

January to April 2012 (exact dates TBC) Iten, Kenya 1 November 2011 3-6 weeks 

Spring Training Camp Mid April to Mid May 2012 (exact dates TBC) France TBC 3-4 weeks 

George Gandy (National Event Coach – Endurance), Ian Stewart (Head of Endurance), Spencer Barden (National Endurance Senior Coordinator) and 

David Bedford (Race Director London Marathon) will make the final decision on who will be offered the available places on each of the altitude camps.


Printed for Jason.Henderson@athletics-weekly.com from Athletics Weekly (10 February 2011) at www.exacteditions.com. Copyright © 2011.












running Fitness, May 2011 

Last month, we revealed the secrets 

of Lornah Kiplagat’s High Altitude 

Training Centre (HATC) in Iten, Kenya. 

Here we catch up with one of Britain’s 

top marathon runners, Lee Merrien, 

to find out how he, and some of 

our leading endurance athletes, 

are benefiting from a UKA/London 

Marathon altitude programme to 

help make their 2011 seasons – and 

beyond – as successful as possible 

“YOU CAN’T FAIL TO BE INSPIRED BY 

ITEN: THE WEATHER’S GREAT, IT’S 

AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND THERE ARE 

LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO RUN. 

IT LITERALLY TICKS EVERY BOX.” 

So says Lee Merrien, Britain’s top finisher in last year’s European 

Championships marathon. He was one of 17 British international 

athletes who attended a recent UKA/London Marathon altitude 

training camp at the Lornah Kiplagat High Altitude Training Centre. 

The delivery of the training camp built on the successful 

implementation of the overall UKA/LM altitude programme in 2010 

and offered another focused training opportunity for athletes

BRITAIN'S TOP MIDDLE AND 

LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS 

ARE HOPING TO BENEFIT 

FROM THE ALTITUDE 

TRAINING PROGRAMME 

and coaches in a group environment, a key objective of UKA’s 

endurance strategy. 

As revealed last month, Iten, situated in the famous Rift Valley 

Province, is the training base for hundreds of athletes including 

2009 world champions Florence Kiplagat, Mary Keitany, Linet Masai 

and Vivian Cheruiyot, and while it’s referenced as the “capital of 

running” in Kenya, it is arguably the epicentre of the endurance 

world , with a reputation that keeps growing. 

Based on the firm belief that group training offers greater 

benefits than individual training, UKA’s endurance team wanted 

to deliver a programme with provision of appropriate and expert 

support personnel pre-camp, during and post-camp to ensure that 

athletes and coaches, many of whom would be exposed to altitude 

for the first time, were correctly educated and prepared. 

The resultant UKA/LM altitude programme was almost 12 months 


in the planning, and following detailed and evidence-based input 

from exercise physiologists Dr Barry Fudge and Professor Andy 

Jones - both of whom have a huge amount of experience in working 

with athletes at altitude - in addition to consultation with leading 

domestic and overseas endurance athletes and coaches, the two 

altitude venues ultimately chosen by UKA and LM were Font Romeu 

in France and Iten in Kenya, at heights of 1800m (6000ft) and 

2385m (8000ft) respectively. 

WATCHFUL EYES 

Sports science and educational support, primarily delivered by 

Fudge and Jones, is integral to the UKA/LM altitude programme. 

Athletes follow the physiological monitoring protocol set up for 

altitude training which ensures they’re best prepared prior to going 

to altitude, adapt to the altitude once at the venue and are then


82 ENDURANCE 

reviewed when they return to sea level. 

The protocol involves pre and post-altitude 

laboratory/field work and adaptation 

monitoring whilst at altitude. 

As well as being part of the educational 

process in exposing athletes and coaches to 

altitude training, the exercise physiologists 

are able to provide specific feedback to 

both to ensure they are maximising their 

time at altitude and are benefiting from the 

potential gains associated with responding 

well to altitude conditions. 

The UKA/LM altitude programme has 

already had a positive impact with a number 

of encouraging performances throughout 

the 2010 summer season. These included 

Mo Farah’s double European Championships 

gold over 5,000m and 10,000m and Chris 

Thompson’s European Championships silver 

at 10,000m both won following periods of 

altitude training in Iten and Font Romeu 

in the Catalan Pyrenees. Jo Jackson – who 

finalised her preparations for the European 

Championships 20km walk in Font Romeu 

and finished tenth – went on to win 

Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi. 

Athletes who attended the first camp 

of the year in Kenya in 2011 are already 

excelling, including Helen Clitheroe who 

recorded a European leading time of 

8:39.81 in the 3000m when finishing 

fourth in a world class field in the Aviva 

Grand Prix in February. Helen also held on 

to a thrilling victory in the recent European 

Indoor Championships. 

UKA’s Head of Endurance, Ian Stewart, 

says it’s the whole package and not just 

the altitude that gives athletes the edge: 

“The majority of the world’s best endurance 

athletes are based at altitude and we have 

a strong evidence base to prove why it 

works,” he says. “Thanks to UKA and with 

the support of London Marathon we’re now 

able to offer our athletes and their coaches 

access to altitude training for almost 12 

months of the year for the first time. 

“Training together in a group environment 

is a key aspect of our endurance strategy, 

but the fact that both Font Romeu and Iten 

are such inspirational places and full of likeminded 

people is just as important as the 

fact that we’re based at altitude. 

Above 

right: Helen 

Clitheroe 

training on 

the track 

near Iten 

Left: 

Lee Merrien 

Below 

right: Nick 

McCormick 

and Steph 

Twell 

training 

under the 

watchful 

eyes of UK 

coach Mick 

Woods 

Below 

left: Nick 

McCormick 

meets 

some of 

the local 

wildlife

“We’re offering a fully managed and supported programme with 

medical, physiological and nutritional assistance and we’re giving 

our athletes the opportunity to benefit from an exceptional training 

environment surrounded by world class athletes. 

“It doesn’t have to be fancy – the great thing about Kenya, for 

example, are the miles and miles of dirt trails; there’s literally 

nothing else to do up there but train, which is exactly what they 

need to maintain their focus.” 

The training environment in Iten – as well as in Font Romeu - is 

unprecedented for endurance athletes. 

“I loved the experience of Iten,” says Lee Merrien. “It’s a fantastic 

environment in all aspects of running life. I had a little bit of an 

idea what to expect as friends had been out there already, but I 

really liked it – and will be going back to put the finishing touches 

to my VLM preparations.” 

In addition to the two core camps which run for four to five 

weeks in spring (April/May) and autumn/winter (Oct/Nov), smaller 

dedicated camps of three to four weeks, as well as Aviva holding/ 

preparation camps for athletes selected for the annual major 

championships will be operational going forward. 

This enables a rotational model of exposure to altitude which 

is central to the success of the altitude programme and involves 

approximately three to six week blocks at high altitude and four 

to six week blocks at sea level; this periodisation altitude model 

prolongs the time athletes spend at altitude so that the potential 

benefits can be maximised over a twelve month period. RF 


83 

LEE MERRIEN 

DISCUSSES HIS 

ITEN EXPERIENCE 

“Generally, I will use a 

training camp in the buildup 

to an important race. 

This year, for example, I’ve 

used a couple of camps in 

preparation for the Virgin 

London Marathon and last 

year I used Font Romeu 

before the Commonwealth 

Games and the European 

Championships. The main 

benefit for me is that you 

can focus purely on training 

and get the rest you need – 

without any distractions. It 

means you can eat and sleep 

like an athlete, perhaps better 

than you can in your own 

home environment. 

“Most days, we’d run as a 

group at 7am, although we 

also had the opportunity to 

run with the Kenyans, and 

their runs would start at 

6.15am.We would join the 

Kenyans on what were their 

‘easy easy’ runs. These would 

be about 70-80 minutes and 

at an average of no faster than 

6.30 min/miling, but bearing 

in mind the first mile is run at 

9 minutes, it gives you an idea 

of how much it picks up. It’s a 

fantastic time to run as the sun 

comes up.We’d run in almost 

complete silence: the Kenyans 

are incredibly focused.” 

As you might expect, with 

everything concentrated on 

running, the distractions of 

everyday life are few and far 

between.“We all got very 

good at table tennis,” says Lee. 

“We did have Internet access, 

but the connection wasn’t 

great. And we played a lot of 

board games – something I 

hadn't done for ages.You’re 

happy to be relaxing and 

doing things like having an 

afternoon nap: you just tend 

to fall into the Kenyan way of 

life, which generally means 

that everything’s done at its 

own pace.” 

A second training session 

would then take place later 

in the day. Steady runs would 

head out at about 5pm, or, if it 

had been an interval session 

mid-morning, then the second 

run would be about half an 

hour later.“We’d run twice a 

day, every day, and we’d also 

do weights,” says Lee.“I was 

averaging around 120 miles a 

week, but with the altitude, it 

be would be worth a bit more 

in the UK.” 

And how has it helped 

his preparation? “If 

everything goes well, I’d be 

looking at trying to get some 

qualifying times at London for 

the World Championships,” 

says Lee.“Training is going 

well: if I don’t run faster than 

last year, than something 

will have gone wrong. I was 

actually in shape at last year's 

European Championships in 

Barcelona to run quicker than 

I did at London, so if I can 

push on again from that, I will 

get the times I need.” 

For more information on the UKA/ 

LM Altitude Training Camps please 

contact UKA National Endurance 

Senior Co-ordinator Spencer Barden: 

sbarden@uka.org.uk

All photos courtesy of Mark Shearman

UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme ... - Fidal Lombardia

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