Iten is the self-proclaimed "Home of Champions"
Welcome to Iten - Home of Champions
Benjamin Franke (30) is one of the fastest, probably even THE fastest marathon runners in Hamburg. At the 2019 Berlin Marathon, Benni ran 2:29:00 hours, setting a Hamburg season's best time and hinting at what had already been suggested at the hella half marathon hamburg a few months earlier (1:11:34 in the sweltering heat): The 30-year-old is currently unstoppable in Hamburg's long-distance running scene.
In January, Benjamin Franke flew to Kenya with Henning Lenertz (editor at Runner's World Germany) and Fabian Wittke (reporter for NDR). More precisely, to Iten, the self-proclaimed "Home of Champions," where many of the world's best runners train for world records, medals, and personal bests. We spoke with Benni about the unique aspects of the place, the mentality of world-class runners, and his personal goals.
Moving in step: Fabian Wittke, Benjamin Franke and Henning Lenertz (from left to right)
Your performance development over the last few years is impressive, and your personal best times of 1:11:03 hours in the half marathon and 2:29:00 hours in the marathon are a real statement. When and how did you get into running?
I started running as a teenager. But I always saw running as just a supplement – I played football for about 10 years in an amateur club in Osnabrück. When I was 20 and a teammate told me about his unique experience running the Münster Marathon, I thought: "I want to experience that too!" So it came to pass that I ran my first marathon in 2012 – also in Münster. My debut time? 3 hours and 46 minutes.
The major performance leaps and the actual “competitive sport” came from 2018 onwards: I joined the Hamburg Running club at the end of 2017 and have since been able to improve my best times in all distances.
You work full-time in Hamburg and structure your training around your job. At the beginning of the year, you had a completely new experience and flew to a training camp in Iten, Kenya. How did that idea come about?
I was already in Iten with my partner Julia in 2017. At that time, however, it was only for a few days and more of a "short break" alongside our Kilimanjaro climb. But even then, the strong desire to return to Iten for training had taken root in me. The running routes were simply too beautiful, the "red earth" beneath my feet felt too magical, and the scenery of running among the houses and fields in Iten was simply too idyllic!
Benni flies over the famous red earth
You hear many stories from Iten, the "Home of Champions." Stories of hundreds of runners who meet and train together and have an incredibly high level of performance. Have your expectations in this regard been met?
They definitely did. We met an incredible number of world-class athletes there who were preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Many of Germany's top female athletes (including Gesa Krause, Fabienne Königstein, and Debbie Schöneborn) and top male athletes (including Arne Gabius, Amanal Petros, Philipp Pflieger, Hendrik Pfeiffer, and Tom Gröschel) were staying at the renowned Kerio View Hotel. But it wasn't just Germany's elite runners who were there; we also met other top runners for casual chats, including Mo Farah, Sondre Nordstad Moen, and Suguru Osako.
Another “local” highlight was the famous fartlek. Every Tuesday and Thursday, well over 100 runners (mostly Kenyan) meet at 9 a.m. at a simple intersection and begin the pace-changing drills. It was definitely one of the most impressive experiences there. Could I keep up the pace? Certainly not, but at least I managed to stick with it until the end!
In fast company: Benjamin Franke, Debbie Schöneborn, Fabienne Königstein, Amanal Petros, Tom Gröschel, Mo Farah (from left to right)
One of the unique features of Iten is its altitude of almost 2,400 meters. How can one imagine training under these conditions?
Especially in the first few days, you have to listen very carefully to yourself and your body. The first few kilometers are often very strenuous, and you might be surprised that not only your legs, but also your arms and your entire body feel heavy. This initial heaviness usually subsides once you've gotten into a rhythm for a few kilometers, and then it feels quite good. However, you shouldn't compare the pace at altitude to your training at sea level. Many athletes report a difference of about 15-30 seconds per kilometer while maintaining the same heart rate. We primarily used the training at altitude to build our base endurance. Because that's the next difficult challenge at altitude: intervals and tempo runs are considerably harder. Many top athletes, for example, report that they do about two weeks of easy training to acclimatize.
You mentioned having direct contact with top runners. Were you surprised or impressed by any of their attitudes and mentalities?
Due to the Tokyo Olympics, many top athletes were in Iten in January. After just a few days there, we immediately understood why: in addition to the altitude, the training conditions are truly excellent: numerous running routes (almost always with significant elevation gain), good food at the hotel, and excellent training partners everywhere – whether from the same camp or Kenyans. Interestingly, Fabienne Königstein, for example, always hired a local runner as a pacemaker for her high-quality training sessions. This way, she always has support during her training and simultaneously gives something back to a local runner.
Together with Debbie Schöneborn, the kilometers are racked up.
You were actually planning to put your improved fitness to the test at the Hamburg Marathon, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus. What are your goals for 2020 and the coming years?
The COVID-19 virus is, of course, turning everything upside down right now. It's a real shame that the Hamburg Marathon 2020 has been canceled for the time being, and that many other races aren't taking place either. But these days, I think the most important thing is to focus on what you value most about running: you can still get outside and pursue your passion: being outdoors, feeling free, and occasionally pushing yourself to the limit. As long as we can still run (alone), I'm truly happy. When "social contact" is gradually permitted again in the coming weeks/months, we'll resume group training at the club and define our goals together. Whether it will be a 10k race, a half marathon, or a marathon depends entirely on the general situation in Germany. I'm optimistic that some races will still be able to take place in 2020. And then we'll go full throttle!
Our motto is "HUNT INCYLENCE". What does it mean to you?
This motto motivates me every day to get out there and work on my fitness. I want to get the best out of myself. With strategy, motivation, and plans, I work towards specific goals for months – like a marathon, for example – and try to be in peak condition on race day. This means that in every training session – whether a relaxed run or a long tempo run – I feel the competitive instinct to push myself to the limit. INCYLENCE supports me in a crucial aspect: the outfit I wear while running should always reflect how hard I'm pushing myself, because there's only one speed – full speed ahead!
In Runner's World, journalist and runner Henning Lenertz reports extensively on the adventure in Kenya.