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

“ 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
UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde tRAInIng CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt | 5
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.”