On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, the azure sky and gleaming sun that are hallmarks of Los Angeles, California, were rapidly replaced by thick grey smoke swelling upwards from fast-moving fire within Pacific Palisades. Hours later, another blaze, called the Eaton Fire, began to consume huge swaths of Pasadena and Altadena.

Since then, the skies of Southern California have been crisscrossed by a dizzying number of firefighting aircraft: helicopters, propeller-driven water bombers, and even massive tanker jets. You may have seen and on social media, dropping orange slurry near homes or spraying buckets of ocean water on rising flames.

Aerial firefighters—the pilots, flight coordinators, and crew—have played a vital role in the battle against the worst fire season in Southern California history. As of publishing, —with a handful of smaller fires, like the Kenneth Fire and Hurst Fire breaking out as well. In total, these blazes have consumed 40,000 acres of land and 12,300 structures. The death toll of the fires, overall, has risen to 24.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű spoke to aerial firefighters to understand how they have contributed to the lifesaving efforts across Southern California, and to understand why the blazes present such a challenge for crews both on the ground and in the skies.

“The Palisades and Eaton fires are in the top three worst fires I’ve worked in my 30-year career,” says fire captain and helicopter coordinator John Williamson with Cal Fire, the fire department of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The Importance of Aerial Firefighters

Aerial firefighters have the same job as ground-based firefighters, but aerial firefighters corral the flames from the sky. They work in tandem with ground crews to support their efforts by dropping thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water to critical fire areas with each fly by.

It’s a dangerous job. , there have been 14 fatal aerial firefighting aircraft crashes resulting in the deaths of 25 aerial firefighting crew members in the U.S. In contrast, not a single U.S. commercial passenger airline pilot has been killed in a flight crash since 2020.

There are more than 50 aerial firefighting aircraft assigned to the Los Angeles fires that come from several agencies. Some aircraft are from , the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world with 60 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. Others are from private companies like Montana-based . And others still have flown in from other fire departments across North America, including a crew from Quebec, Canada.

Aerial firefighting fleets vary in size. Cal Fire retains the likes of multiple 1,200-gallon-capable , 4,000-gallon-capable , , , and . Neptune Aviation owns nine , each of which can hold 3,000 gallons of fire retardant and four of which are currently assisting with the Los Angeles fires.

No matter the aircraft, Williamson, who’s currently in Los Angeles working the Palisades and Eaton fires, notes that aerial firefighters’ jobs are entirely to support the first responders on the ground.

In previous years, wintertime has been a quiet season for aerial firefighters, with most on vacation and many of the fleets put away for maintenance. But this is changing, due in part to a shift in climate and drier conditions yearround. Now, agencies like Cal Fire must be ready to battle wildfire at any moment.

“There is no longer a ‘fire season,’” says a spokesperson from Cal Fire. “It is now a ‘fire year.’”

The Santa Ana Winds

The nearly 100-mile-per-hour winds made the first evening of firefighting a biblical “man vs. wild” battle. The fires initially had to be fought almost entirely by groundcrews as the hurricane-force gusts made aerial firefighting unsafe and ineffective. These winds, known as the , are seasonal, strong winds that blow south into the Los Angeles area from the Mojave Desert. The Santa Ana Winds are known for fanning wildfire flames and causing a , which can make flying dangerous or impossible.

“These fires are significant because of the wind event that preceded them,” says Williamson. “The high winds spread the fires quickly and made it difficult for any aerial firefighting to occur in the initial hours
I hate to describe it this way, but everything leading up to these fires created the perfect storm.”

As the wind speeds decreased slightly on January 8, aerial firefighters took to the sky and began dropping thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water across the Palisades and Eaton fires.

But the wind has continued to create headaches. Williamson says that crews must assess wind gusts each day to make sure that it’s safe to fly—and to ensure that their drops of slurry or water are accurate.

“Additionally, the infrastructure here in Los Angeles presents a challenge with so many above-ground electrical wires and tall structures,” Williamson says. “Not every aerial firefighter assigned to these fires is from Los Angeles, so some are learning the terrain as they go.”

Aerial Firefighting Logistics

At the beginning of each day, aerial firefighters receive a morning briefing at their assigned air base before linking up with officials who coordinate helicopter flights or air attack routes. These specialists are like aerial firefighting air traffic control: they tell aerial firefighters where to fly and at what elevation in the firefighting airspace to best support ground crews.

The size and intensity of the Los Angeles fires means that the “stack,” or elevation layers of an airspace, in which the aerial firefighters fly is crowded and limited.

“The wind and the amount of aerial firefighters we have working on these fires has made the stacks complicated,” Williamson says. “We currently have a thousand feet of elevation between each aircraft in a stack to give our crews some buffer, and we’ve been having to closely monitor where and how each aircraft in a stack goes about their jobs due to the high winds and terrain of these fires.”

For reference, are allowed to have 1,000 feet of stack between them when flying below 29,000 feet, and must have 2,000 feet of stack between them when above 29,000 feet.

Neptune Aviation’s Chief Pilot Eric Komberec says the Palisades and Eaton fires have been some of the most challenging to fight from the air.

“The urban interface and airspace concerns with so many other commercial airports in the [Los Angeles] area combined with the low moisture index and intense winds has made this a complicated fire for our aerial firefighters to tackle,” Komberec says. “There also aren’t any firebreaks due to the urban environment, so we have few ways to corral these fires. We have to attack them totally differently than we would a true wildland fire.”

Komberec notes that crews are accountable for their drops of fire retardant—which are determined by the pilot only through mental math and “eyeballing it.”

The crosswinds, he says, have made it difficult to maneuver planes and ensure an accurate drop of retardant. “We are held accountable for every drop of retardant we make,” Komberec says. “It’s not only extremely expensive, but can be dangerous when dropped on or near congested areas. Given the urban interface of this fire, we have to be extremely concerned with making sure we’re at the appropriate height and angle for a drop.”

The Mental Toll

A week of round-the-clock work has taken its toll on the aerial firefighting crews in Los Angeles.

Williamson says pilots have very little downtime in between shifts, with almost every waking moment devoted to gearing up for the next one. “After a shift you’ll eat and rest and let your mind unravel a bit from what you just went through,” he says. “But even when you’re not on a shift, you’re strategizing with other crew members, trying to make your plan for the next shift to hopefully be even more effective than during the last one.”

Crews must also manage the psychological impact of viewing the destroyed neighborhoods and city centers from the air.

“We see the devastation from a different perspective,” Williamson says. “The images of destruction are seared into your brain. It’s hard to see how far the burn scar extends knowing the loss of property and life that came with it. You can’t dwell on these things while working, though. You have to keep grinding until the job is done.”

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After seeing On Athletics Club pro runner last April in a pair of , the hype was officially raised around the brand’s new supershoe.

On had created racing shoes and extremely cushioned shoes before, but the updated version of its top-tier long-distance road racing shoe has been vastly overhauled.Ìę The Cloudboom Echo 3 has a much-improved Pebax midsole foam package and a more aggressive carbon-fiber propulsion plate embedded in the middle, plus a new reinforced, lightweight microfiber upper that helps provide a more locked-down fit.

On Cloudboom Echo 3 and the Supershoes

On markets the Cloudboom Echo 3 as a marathon shoe, but it can be used for any distance of road racing, from an all-out mile race to a well-paced half-marathon.

The Cloudboom Echo 3 was released in July, touting a barely-there upper, a proprietary “Speedboard” carbon rocker plate, and Pebax foam midsole. The price checks in at a whopping $290, topping the lofty price tags of the Saucony Endorphin Elite (), Hoka Rocket X 2 (), Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3 (), ASICS Metaspeed Sky+ (), and Adidas Adizero Adios Adizero Pro 3 ().

But how does the Cloudboom Echo 3 stack up to other current supershoes on performance? We put it to the test.

RELATED: Still the King? Nike Vaporfly 3

On Cloudboom Echo 3: First Impressions

Taking the Cloudboom Echo 3 out of the box will quickly make you realize two things: the shoes feel very light and airy, and they look quite narrow. Both of which are true: The Cloudboom Echo 3 weighs in at 7.5 ounces (men’s size 8.5), which is close in weight to the ASICS Metaspeed Edge+ (7.7 ounces) and the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 (7.5 ounces), but not quite as light as the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 3 (6.5 ounces).

The Cloudboom Echo 3’s hydrophobic microfiber uppers have been talked about favorably, and for good reason. They are so thin they’re nearly transparent, but still feel durable. The stitching on the upper has tiny holes in between each stitch, too, to ensure that moisture has a way to evaporate—no sweaty feet mid-marathon. Plus, there’s enough structure in the upper to keep my feet secured to the footbed.

The biggest update to the Cloudboom Echo 3 is centered around the new midsole chassis. It features On’s updated proprietary Helion HF superfoam, a fully recyclable material made from responsive Pebax and 46 percent bio-based materials derived from castor beans.

Putting on the shoes made me say, “Wow,” for two reasons: the shoes are incredibly narrow and make you feel like you’re standing on a very thin balance beam, and they feel lively with potential rocket speed waiting to be activated.

First Run

The Cloudboom Echo 3 has an above-average 9.5mm heel-toe drop (37mm in the heel, 27.5mm in the forefoot), which, in addition to a sole that is designed to help roll you forward off the tip of each stride, produces an exceptionally snappy sensation as you transition from midfoot to toe-off. For comparison, the Nike Alphafly Next% 2 has an 8mm drop and Asics Metaspeed Edge+ has a drop of 8mm.

From the first step in the Cloudboom Echo 3, I felt like I was being rolled forward thanks to the high drop and forward-rocking design of the outsole. It seemed as though every step I took provided maximal forward propulsion because of this rocking motion. It’s as if no energy generated by my stride was left on the ground—it all went toward propelling me forward, but only at high speeds. Shuffling for an easy 400 meters in between intervals felt awkward in this shoe, which is clearly designed to only go one speed: fast.

The semi-soft midsole foam is compliant, but not as plush as the midsoles of some other brands I’ve worn like Asics or Nike. I see this model more as a half-marathon shoe, but I also like a lot of cushioning in my shoes for a marathon.

Speaking of the midsole, it is cushy but narrow. I had knee surgery a few years ago and am cautious of narrow supershoes as my knee can still become irritated by too much bounce on too small of a platform, and that was the case with the Cloudboom Echo 3.

The upper is the real winner of this shoe.. The fabric feels like cloth mixed with a bit of plastic reinforcement. The stitching is tight and barely pliable, but it’s breathable, hydrophobic, and it contributes to a secure fit. I wear-tested this shoe in dry conditions, but had no issues with moisture buildup in the shoes, thanks to the ample wiggle room in the toe box. I would imagine, though, that on a wet day (like the day Obiri won Boston), water would seep into the toe box due to the thin uppers, but that’s not unique to the Cloudboom Echo 3—most supershoes have perforations in the uppers that take on water in the rain.

The tongue of the shoe is thin and sort of intentionally sits off to the inner side of the foot thanks to a one-sided gusset on the inside of the shoe. The tongue stayed in place off to the side and did not irritate my foot in any way. Although the upper has a clean and simple design that On has become known for, TPU overlaps on the medial side of the saddle and a moderately reinforced heel up provides a touch of structure to keep the foot in place.

The forefoot and heel of the outsole are nicely reinforced with black and orange textured rubber that provided solid grip on my run—I had no issues with cornering, stopping, or changing direction. However, the midfoot of the outsole has less-durable exposed midsole foam that showed signs of peeling after just one 90-minute run. This is not exactly what you want from a $290 pair of shoes.

Who Is This Best For

The Cloudboom Echo 3 would be good for those with a narrow foot and quick cadence who are training for a half-marathon or shorter-distance race. Those who are forefoot runners will enjoy the forward-rocking shape of the outsole, as well. Runners who prefer some cushion, but not the mega-marshmallow foam of some supershoes will appreciate the lively but moderate cushioning of the Cloudboom Echo 3 – making it perfect for short-to-middle-distance running.

Final Thoughts

On has created a competitive supershoe that works well for forefoot runners with narrow feet and a forward-leaning posture and stride.

For $290, I’m not sure these shoes pack enough of a “wow factor” in this iteration for me to recommend them above other supershoes, but as On has shown time and time again, they are masters of continuous improvement—their shoes today look totally different from their big-lugged pairs of even five years ago.

On Cloudboom Echo 3 Specs

• Weight (size 43): 215g per shoe
• Stack: 37mm in the heel, 27.5mm in the forefoot
• Heel-Toe Drop: 9.5mm
• Plate: Full-length “Speedboard” carbon plate
• Midsole: Pebax-based Helion HFmidsole
• Lifespan: 105 miles or 4 marathons, according to On

RELATED: Hoka Finally Makes a Competitive Supershoe

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Rick Hoyt, who rose to fame as half of the father-son endurance duo “Team Hoyt,” has died of respiratory complications at age 61.

“As so many knew, Rick along with our father, Dick, were icons in the road race and triathlon worlds for over 40 years and inspired millions of people with disabilities to believe in themselves, set goals, and accomplish extraordinary things,” said the Hoyt Foundation in a announcing Rick’s passing. He was preceded in death by his father in 2021.

The pair made headlines in the endurance world starting in 1977, when Dick began pushing Rick in a wheelchair at local road races. Rick, diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, was paralyzed in all four limbs and utilized a computer to communicate.

The father-son team’s first race together was a local five-mile charity run benefiting a lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Rick told his dad that he wanted to run the race, and Dick advocated to make it happen, kicking off the pair’s legendary endurance sports career.

“Dad, when we run, I feel like my disability disappears,” Rick said after their first race. Together, they made it their mission to race as much as possible. The two conquered over 1,100 endurance events worldwide, including 36 Boston Marathon finishes, countless local 5K and 10K races, more than 70 marathons total, and multiple Ironman triathlons.

The duo’s final Boston Marathon together , and Rick’s was the 2017 Boston Marathon, in which he was pushed by Bryan Lyons.

Dick and Rick used endurance sports as a platform for acceptance and inclusion. In addition to changing perceptions about athletes with disabilities, Rick worked with his mother, Judy, to change the laws of education so that Rick could receive an education alongside non-disabled peers. He went on to graduate with a degree in special education from Boston College, and later worked at his alma mater helping to develop communication technologies for people with disabilities.

The Boston Marathon has long been a special race for the father and son duo, and they were recognized by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) with the Patriot Award in 2006. The Patriot Award celebrates an “individual, group, or organization that is patriotic, philanthropic, and inspirational, and fosters goodwill and sportsmanship,”

In 2013, Dick and Rick were , or the “Excellence in Sport Performance Yearly” awards, with the Jimmy V. Perseverance Award, which recognizes an individual—or pair of individuals—who are determined to reach their goals and inspire others to do the same.

Today, the Boston Marathon grants a “Rick and Dick Hoyt Award” each April to “someone who exhibits the spirit of Team Hoyt through advocacy and inclusion,” the B.A.A. shared via their .

Dave McGillivray, who has been the race director for the Boston Marathon for 22 years, shared his emotions on Rick’s passing via an :

“Today we lost one of the most inspirational figures that the running community has ever known. Rick Hoyt has motivated and inspired so many throughout his years of running with his father Dick Hoyt. Rick will be dearly missed, and the impact he has had on others will always be remembered.”

 

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Dick and Rick’s legacy will continue to live on through the Team Hoyt Foundation, which “aspires to build the individual character, self-confidence, and self-esteem of America’s disabled young people through inclusion in all facets of daily life.”

Learn more about the Team Hoyt Foundation .

Special thanks to Susan Lacke at Triathlete for .Ìę

The post Rick Hoyt, 36-Time Boston Marathon Finisher, Dies at 61 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

There’s something electrifying about standing on the start line of a running race: the nerves, the excitement, the feeling of being part of something larger than yourself as you wait for the starting gun, shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow athletes. That bolt of energy can often extend from the idea of “running for more,” a phrase commonly used to describe combining a race registration with a fundraising effort.

In fact, running is one of the biggest philanthropic sports in the world, where the London Marathon is the world’s largest one-day fundraising event—it has raised . On race day, approximately 75 percent of its runners are tied to some sort of fundraising effort, according to the team at London Marathon Events.

Even for those opting for smaller, local events, or entirely solo outings, having a goal that transcends individual and external motivations, and instead focuses on something intrinsically motivating—like contributing to a charity—can be a powerful motivator. So powerful that, to date, over $2 billion has been raised by runners for charitable organizations worldwide, when looking at combined fundraising totals just from the , , and .

Running for More: On a Global Scale

Running as part of a charity team, or to raise money for a nonprofit, is a primary reason athletes choose to add in a philanthropic goal for their journey to the start line. Running for a cause can be a positive release for those who have experienced challenges or trauma, for those who have lost a loved one, overcome addiction, or are a caregiver to someone with illness. In these instances, running can be a tangible way to connect to, and make meaning of, the overwhelming obstacles we face in our personal lives.

The London Marathon, which usually sees roughly 40,000 runners annually at the start line, has raised $1.4 billion since its inaugural race day in 1981. There are more than 2,000 charities from which participants have the option to choose. The London Marathon works with many digital fundraising providers, including Enthuse and Just Giving, to verify the total funds raised for charity by participants.

Charities on the London Marathon’s offer “charity places,” reserved spots which are awarded to athletes who provide an authentic commitment to fundraise for the organization, which are then tracked by each individual charity and reported to the London Marathon. Arguably UK’s most famous running race, the London Marathon sees about a half-million applications each year, so one can imagine how important these “charity spots” are.

“Charity fundraising is part of what makes the London Marathon so special for both participants and spectators, on the streets or watching on television,” says Hugh Brasher, events director for the London Marathon. “The extraordinary stories of why participants are running for [their chosen] cause is truly moving and what makes London ‘the world’s most human race.’”

One such story is that of Gill Punt, a 52-year-old mother of three based in Bromsgrove, England, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of London. For the past 10 London Marathons, Gill has fundraised for (CRUK) as a charity athlete.

“I lost my father at a young age due to cancer, and this awful event began my fundraising adventures,” Punt said. “It has never been more urgent to beat cancer, which is why I do all I can on an unpaid, voluntary basis [to fundraise].” So far, Gill has raised nearly $1.5 million for CRUK.

Punt has organized many charitable races and race teams outside of the London Marathon, as well, but her efforts may be best known by the London Marathon community. In 2016, Punt was awarded a Guinness World Record title for the fastest marathon in a full animal costume (4:22:08). Punt ran the London Marathon dressed as a polar bear, also the CRUK mascot. In 2019, Punt was honored by the late Queen of England with the British Empire Medal “for services to charitable fundraising.”

Punt said that the London Marathon holds a special place in her heart when it comes to racing for more. “Runners of all abilities, shapes, and sizes are at the London Marathon. All running for their own special, personal reasons, but also to be part of a bigger movement for good. I often say that if you could bottle up the energy and humanity exhibited on the streets of London on marathon day, the world would truly be a better place.” Punt will be racing her 11th London Marathon on April 23.

The London Marathon is not the only major race to prioritize fundraising. All World Marathon Majors races offer opportunities to enter the race as a charity athlete. The Boston Marathon, for example, stipulates that once chosen as a charity athlete, a runner must raise a minimum of $5,000 for their charity prior to race day.

Along with the higher calling of raising funds for nonprofits, London Marathon charity athletes get to experience special benefits just for fundraisers. Generally, charities offer many perks—free gear, special training sessions, exclusive cheer zones, post-race receptions—and it’s up to each individual charity to choose what they’d like to offer.

London Marathon charity athletes can also take part in the event’s , aimed at first-time charity athletes to offer information about training for a marathon, tips for successful fundraising, and what to expect come race day. If you are dedicated to a particular cause and have the dream of running in one (or all six!) , linking up with race-affiliated charities is one way to achieve your goal while making the dreams of others possible, too.

Running for More: On a Smaller Scale

Fortunately, there are many ways to combine running and philanthropy outside major world running events. It is not uncommon for local half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks to be affiliated with community charities, with either a portion of race entry fees or a matching donor supporting the charity. Some races may even give the opportunity to donate funds during the race registration process or post-race.

For example, run/walks supporting cancer awareness, Alzheimer’s research, community food banks, or animal shelters take place year-round in small towns and large cities around the world. In 2022, the well-known Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure initiative to fund breast cancer research through charitable run/walks

Also, many athletes will turn to a personal challenge that isn’t a race—such as a run streak, a fastest known time (FKT) attempt, or world record attempt—and join a network of several hundred GoFundMe stories of everyday people raising money for charity, all through the power of running.

Amputee of running 106 marathons in 106 days in early 2022. During this journey, Hunt-Broersma raised money for , initially setting a goal of a couple thousand dollars. Hunt-Broersma surpassed her goal in a way she never could have imagined, generating nearly $200,000 by the time her 106-day journey came to an end. Hunt-Broersma was unaffiliated with any race, organization, or matching donor, and she exceeded her fundraising goal through social media, press coverage, and sharing with her local Arizona community.

after her successful 106 consecutive daily marathons that fundraising during her endeavor gave her a reason to press on. “I wanted to show people that no matter who you are, you can do hard things,” Hunt-Broersma said. “Knowing my miles were helping others was a big part of my ‘why’ for running each day.”

Another example is Australian Erchana Murray-Bartlett, who broke Hunt-Broersma’s record in early 2023 by Murray-Bartlett ran the length of Australia, from Queensland to Victoria, in an effort to drive fundraising to at-risk plant and animal species across the country. She raised more than $80,000 during her five-month run, largely through efforts on social media, press.

“Murray-Bartlett’s record-breaking marathon shows the determined attitude that’s needed from Australian political and business leaders on the urgent issue of wildlife extinction,” said Amelia Young, National Campaigns Director for the Wilderness Society. “With national environmental law reform underway, Murray-Bartlett’s fundraising is already having an impact.”

Despite the many legitimate fundraising athletes and charitable running events out there, not all exist purely for ethical reasons. Some runners will sign up for hard-to-get-into running events as a charity athlete and then fail to , and still attempt to start the race. Other times, runners connect with a charity not because of the fundraising component, but more to bolster a self-as-brand following. In fact, races might not even be a particularly efficient way to fundraise, , which assesses the legitimacy of charities in the United States.

Still, there are countless legitimate and impactful examples across the world of runners who were intrigued by an epic journey, seized the opportunity, and made their miles count for more than personal gratification, by encouraging donations to a nonprofit along the way. From major marathons to self-designed projects, running is a rewarding endeavor on its own, but adding in a philanthropic component to your next race or solo attempt can add significant meaning and purpose, additional rocket fuel for each mile and footstep along the way.

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Nestled six hours northwest of Nairobi, Kenya, sits the small town of Iten. At 8,000 feet above sea level, Iten is marked with lush vegetation and striped with Kenya’s iconic red clay roads. Running champions are made here, on the edge of the Rift Valley.

Specifically, the region centers around Eldoret, 20 miles from Iten, which has become the epicenter of long-distance running in Kenya since the country began to rise to prominence on the world stage in the 1960s. Most runners come to Iten to elevate their running in training camps with a desire to compete in the world’s most competitive and prestigious races thousands of miles away. That includes scores of Kenyan athletes, but also, at any given time, a handful of international runners seeking inspiration and, at least temporarily, uncomplicated focus on their training.

Two American runners, marathoner Nell Rojas and 10K specialist Natosha Rogers, have been training in Iten this month, in the hopes of soaking up the greatness that surrounds them. Rojas, a Nike-sponsored athlete who lives in Boulder, Colorado, is taking part in a two-week camp with the Sweat Elite training team.

“I first heard of Iten when my friend Luis Orta began putting on running camps here,” Rojas told Women’s Running, via email from Kenya, in between sessions. “I remember watching his videos of workouts at the Eldoret track, long runs on Moiben Road, and easy runs in the forests surrounding the town. The talk of the perfect training environment hooked me.”

Rojas, 35, was the top American woman finisher in the 2021 and 2022 Boston Marathon and is training for a return appearance at this year’s race on April 17. She is also partnering with photographer Mike Thurk, and the pair is hoping to speak with as many women as possible about what it’s like to be a female runner in Kenya.

“After paying attention to [runner] Mary Ngugi and her efforts in stopping violence against women in Kenya, and watching a documentary on [runner] ’—an organization that protects women against gender-based violence—we wanted to learn more and put a spotlight on the violence against Kenyan women in distance running,” Rojas says.

Rogers, 31, who lives in Denver, is spending a month in Iten after signing a new sponsorship deal with Puma. She was a finalist in the 10,000m at 2022 World Athletics Championships last summer in Eugene, Oregon, and is preparing for a season of racing on the track and roads in the U.S.

“I hope to gain a rekindled love with running and a newfound mentality [while in Iten],” Rogers said. “In the world we live in today, it is easy to get caught up with what everyone else is doing and be too focused on the outcome. With no Wi-Fi and being so far away from everything, I can truly just do what I love, and my performances come as a result of that.”

The Home of Champions

Both Rojas and Rogers said that the natural beauty and running culture of Iten is blowing them away, as well as the depth of talented runners who train there.

“When I saw videos of the workouts on the track in Eldoret, a city 45 minutes outside of Iten, I thought it must have been a special day because there were hundreds of elite-level runners on the track,” Rojas said. “I was wrong. On any given Tuesday there will be packs of the best runners in the world forming a train around the track, Eliud Kipchoge often included. On a walk back from a run, you will bump into 2:17 female and 2:06 male marathoners who are happy to talk with you.”

Rojas also said the natural terrain of Iten is exquisite: “Iten sits over a vast valley with lush forests, and the colors of the sunrises and sunsets set the dirt roads on fire.”

Hundreds of runners will attend local group training runs on the sprawling roads outside of Iten. These long runs start slow, but gradually get much faster and nearly all of the runners maintain the  elite-level pace. Athletes can also train at one of the small gyms in Iten (don’t expect air conditioning) and stay at one of the many accommodations in town that provide runners with everything they need to be successful, including incredible food centered on the Kenyan staples of ugali (cornmeal swallow) and chapati (unleavened flatbread).

“I have never eaten so healthy in my entire life,” Rogers said. “Every day is a well-balanced meal [consisting of] meat, veggies, fruit, chapati, ugali, and lots of tea. I have been trying to eat twice as much because of how much [energy I] seem to be burning here.”

The Iten Way

Training in Iten is unlike anywhere else in the world. It’s impossible not to be giddy about being around some of the speediest runners on Earth. Rogers described the Kenyan workout sessions as “systematic and regimented, yet simple and not over-complicated.” Rojas described how a simple-sounding fartlek workout with the Kenyans in Iten was much harder than it appeared on paper.

“The most famous Kenyan workouts are the fartleks they do on Thursdays. I found a lady to try to pace off who turned out to be a 2:23 marathoner and dropped me six repetitions in,” Rojas said. “The terrain [in Iten] is incredibly hard to run fast on, it’s more like trail running [in the sense of] having to search for a flat place to put your foot.”

Nearly 200 runners may show up for the Thursday fartlek, and the workout is not given to the runners until just before the start. They can choose between two courses, one of which, aptly named “Boston,” mimics the downhill start and challenging, rolling hills of the famed marathon course. Regardless of which course is chosen for the day, the fartlek workout consists of 50 minutes following one of these interval options:

• Option 1: 1 minute “on” / 1 minute “off”
• Option 2: 2 minutes “on” / 1 minute “off”
• Option 3: 3 minutes “on” / 1 minute “off”

The simplest workouts, Rojas says, become very challenging when trying to keep up with runners who all easily surpass a 2:30 marathon. A week of training in Iten might look something like this:

ČŃŽÇČÔ»ćČčČâÌę

• 6 A.M.: Moderate 20K on hills in the forest
• 4 P.M.: 30 minutes easy run, ending in “diagonals” (long strides) followed by “exercise,” which is a group core workout

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• 6 A.M.: 20x400m on Tambach Track
• 4 P.M.: easy 8K

Wednesday

• 6 A.M.: easy 8K
• 10 A.M.: 12 x hill repeats,
• 4 P.M.: easy 30 min run followed by “exercise,” which is a group core workout.

Thursday

• 6 A.M.: easy 8K
• 10 A.M.: fartlek (outlined above)

Friday

• 6 A.M.: easy 12K
• 4 P.M.: easy 8-10K

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• 6 A.M.: 40K progressive long run

Sunday

• Rest

To counterbalance such workouts, runners of Iten take their recovery seriously—napping, reading, eating, and preparing their bodies for the next session. These elite runners generally thrive on routine: same wake-up time, same workout time, similar routes, similar meals, same bedtime each day. There are benefits to this: less stress, fewer decisions to make, and a comfort that comes with repetition.

Journey to a New Perspective

Rojas described the journey to get to Iten as long but beneficial, even if she was physically exhausted from the 8,700-mile journey which takes over 30 hours of travel.

“I’ve been describing the mentality as ‘No problem, I can do that,’” Rojas said. “[The runners look at everything as] positive and achievable
I will try to take that home with me.”

Rogers, who usually trains solo, has experienced a tremendous benefit from doing sessions with other runners. “[Training in Iten] has made me realize that training truly is better together and holding each other accountable to a routine,” she said. “I highly recommend getting out of one’s training bubble. Don’t stay stagnant in your ways. Challenge yourself!”

Though most of us lack the resources, time, and ability to train with Kenyan champions in Iten, we can all benefit by adopting their positive mentality, group energy, accountability, nutritional habits, and training patterns. The results might surprise us.

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