UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme Annual …...From that group, Farah won double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, Thompson took 10000m silver, Merrien finished eighth and first GB

UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme Annual Report 2010/11Prepared by: Spencer Barden and Ian Stewart

CONTENTS1. Introduction 32. UKA/LM Altitude Model and Venues 4-53. World Leading Sport Science and Support 64. Font Romeu, France –Spring and Pre Barcelona Camp 75. Iten, Kenya – Winter Camp 2010/11 86. Case Study 9-107. The Marathon 118. Conclusion 129. Appendices 12-23

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.

1. INTrOdUCTION

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.

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.

2. UKA/LM ALTITUdE MOdEL ANd vENUES


“ 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

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.”

Mo Farah has been a regular at the UKA/London Marathon altitude camps in Font Romeu and Iten

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.

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.

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

3. WOrLd LEAdING SpOrT SCIENCE ANd SUppOrT

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4. FONT rOMEU, FrANCE - SprING CAMp 2010

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.

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.”

prEpArATION CAMp prE ThE EUrOpEAN ChAMpS


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.

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

5. ITEN, KENyA – AUTUMN/WINTEr 2010/11Located 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)

• 1 x Camp manager• 5 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 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)

• 1 x Camp manager• 6 x Personal coaches• 2 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall)• 3 x Physiotherapists• 1 x Exercise Physiologists• 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 ClitheroeHelen 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

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

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

Test: 1 2 3 4date: Mar-11 dec-10 Jan-08 Mar-07Body mass (kg): 57.4 58.4 59.0 58.9LT (km/h): 17.0 16.5 16.0 16.0LTP (km/h): 19.0 18.5 18.0 18.0Economy (mL O2/kg/km): 214 207 199 199VO2max (mL/kg/min): 76 73 70 66

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Figure 2: Aerobic profile over a series of tests.

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.

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

Test Mar-11 Dec-10 Jan-08 Mar-07 Prediction3000m 08:27.86 08:30.41 08:31.71 09:02.73 100% vVo2max5000m 14:50.98 14:55.46 14:57.74 15:52.15 97% vVo2max10000m 31:34.74 32:25.95 33:20.00 33:20.00 Using LtPMarathon 2:28:55 2:32:43 2:37:30 2:37:30 Using Lt

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.


CASE STUdy CONTINUEd


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.

7. ThE MArAThON

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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

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.

8. CONCLUSION

From Emma PallantSent: 03 February 2011 10:14 To: Ian Stewart; Spencer BardenSubject: 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 PallantEmma Pallant

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.


9. AppENdICES


ALTITUDETRAININGOPPORTUNITIES

If you have any questions on the above please contact:UKA National Endurance Senior Coordinator - Spencer Bardenby email [email protected]

Description (2011/early 2012 altitude camps) Departure and return dates Location Closing date for

expression of interest @AltitudeSpring Training Camp

Depart: 11 or 18 April 2011Return: 2 May or 13 May 2011

(option to stay longer for WCPP or Futures funded athletes)Font Romeu, France 31 January 2011 3-4 weeks

Summer Training Camp andPreparation Camp pre World

Champs (Daegu)

Depart: 21 June – Agreed return dates - UK Champs/Trials/various DL meets/World ChampsDepart: 23 July – Agreed return dates for World Champs - Primarily Marathon athletes selected for DaeguDepart: 1 August – Agreed return dates for World Champs

Font Romeu, France N/A 3-6 weeks

Winter Training Camp Depart: 27 October or 10 November 2011Return: 24 November or 8 December 2011 Iten, Kenya 31 August 2011 3-5 weeks

Training Camp – Indoor/CrossCountry/Road Race Season 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 weeksGeorge 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.

UKA and London Marathon are pleased to announce the 2011and early 2012 altitude training camp programme for UKendurance athletes.Following the successful implementation of the UKA/London Marathonaltitude programme throughout 2010, the key objective for the altitudestrategy going forward is to continue to provide athletes and coacheswith the opportunity to train in a group environment within a managedand 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 staffincluding coaches, physiotherapists, doctors, soft tissue therapistsand exercise physiologists.The UKA/London Marathon altitude programme has already had apositive impact with a number of successful performances throughout the2010 summer season including Mo Farah’s double EuropeanChampionships gold over 5,000m and 10,000m and Chris Thompson’sEuropean Championships silver at 10,000m following periods of altitudetraining in Iten and Font Romeu. Jo Jackson – who finalised herpreparations for the European Championships 20km Walk in Font Romeuand finished tenth – went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi.

The positive feedback surrounding the altitude programme and thecontinued forward momentum in UK endurance running has meantthat the altitude camps are now becoming increasing popular,especially amongst some of the UK’s leading endurance athletes.

The camps are open to all UK endurance athlete and coach pairings,however, the availability for places funded by UKA/London Marathonfor 2011 will be prioritised from the list below. If availability allows ateach venue, athletes and coaches are welcome to attend the campson a self funded basis.

UKA/London Marathon funded places will be prioritised as follows:1. World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) athletes2. UKA ‘Futures’ Programme athletes3. 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 coaches5. Home Country Federation nominated coaches (linked to coach development initiatives through the National Coach Mentor programme)

The UKA/London Marathon altitude camp programme is detailedbelow. Any UK endurance athletes who fulfil the above criteria andare interested in attending any future altitude training camps shouldin the first instance express their interest before the relevant closingdates with UKA National Endurance Senior Coordinator SpencerBarden by email [email protected] with details of the camp theywould like to attend.

Printed for [email protected] fro

m Athletics Weekly (10 February 2011) at www.exacted

itions.com. Copyright © 2011.






















Last month, we revealed the secretsof Lornah Kiplagat’s High Altitude

Training Centre (HATC) in Iten, Kenya.Here we catch up with one of Britain’stop marathon runners, LeeMerrien,

to find out how he, and some ofour leading endurance athletes,

are benefiting from a UKA/LondonMarathon altitude programme to

help make their 2011 seasons – andbeyond – as successful as possible

“YOU CAN’T FAIL TO BE INSPIRED BYITEN: THE WEATHER’S GREAT, IT’SAT 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. Hewas one of 17 British international

athletes who attended a recent UKA/LondonMarathon 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


running Fitness, May 2011


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 EYESSports 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

BRITAIN'S TOPMIDDLE ANDLONGDISTANCE RUNNERSAREHOPING TOBENEFITFROMTHEALTITUDE

TRAINING PROGRAMME

82 ENDURANCE

Left:LeeMerrien

Belowright: NickMcCormickand StephTwelltrainingunder thewatchfuleyes of UKcoachMickWoods

Belowleft: NickMcCormickmeetssomeofthe localwildlife

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 like-

minded people is just as important as the

fact that we’re based at altitude.

Aboveright: HelenClitheroetraining onthe tracknear Iten



83

LEE MERRIENDISCUSSES HISITEN EXPERIENCE“Generally, I will use a

training camp in the build-

up 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? “Ifeverything 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:

[email protected]

“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

All photos courtesy of M

ark Shearman

Documents

UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme Annual …...From that group, Farah won double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, Thompson took 10000m silver, Merrien finished eighth and first GB