Share
1 of 11
Runners participate in the fast-growing Safaricom Lewa marathon in Kenya. The government is targeting the lucrative sports tourism sector as an engine of economic recovery. PHIL MOORE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Double Olympic gold medal winner David Rudisha is among the track stars serving to promote Kenya as a sports tourism destination. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images South America/Getty Images
Kenya's Jemima Jelagat Sumgong winning gold for the marathon in Rio.
Kenya has an illustrious tradition for runners. Over the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, only the US and Russia claimed more athletics medals. The country is now seeking to cash in on this rich heritage. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Kenya has an illustrious tradition for runners. Over the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, only the US and Russia claimed more athletics medals. The country is now seeking to cash in on this rich heritage. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
The town of Iten, where many of the greatest Kenyan runners train, is already a popular draw for sports tourists. TONY KARUMBA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
The High Altitude Training Centre in Iten, run by Kenyan-born Dutch world champion runner Lornah Kiplagat, is reporting rising visitor numbers. John Gichigi/Getty Images
Lornah Kiplagat says it is no longer only elite athletes that visit, but a range of more casual tourists, who want "something different to beach holidays." Michael Steele/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Sports enterprizes are proliferating in Iten, such as British runner Gavin Smith's 'The Kenya Experience,' which offers training camps for visitors from around the world. Dan Schwartzbaum
The camp offers the chance to run with some of Kenya's finest athletes, and learn from their techniques and lifestyles. Dan Schwartzbaum
Kenyan tourism authorities are seeking to develop new attractions beyond Iten. The Lewa marathon has grown from 180 runners in 2000 to over 1,200 in 2015, and has raised over $5 million for conservation efforts in the area. PHIL MOORE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Around $20 million of new funding is to be invested in new sporting facilities, including for athletics and rugby, which is increasingly popular through the 'Safari Sevens' tournament in Nairobi. Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Sports such as horse and camel racing are also seeing increased interest and investment. FREDRIK LERNERYD/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
