Gavin & Lauren Smith

Gavin & Lauren founded The Kenya Experience in 2010 providing training camps for runners of all levels in the Kenyan Highlands. The Kenya Experience evolved into Running Trips which now operates both Kenya Experience & Training Focus Camps.

Gavin is a competitive runner and coach, Lauren is a recreational runner who occasionally takes part in club races. 

Gavin and Lauren met at Loughborough University where they were both members of the athletics club and married in 2010. Shortly afterwards they set up home in Iten in rural Kenya where they established the popular Kenya Experience camps, the first camp to offer coached and guided training camps in Iten Kenya, for amateur runners.

During their time in Kenya, Lauren was General Manager of the High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) where she had particular responsibility for ensuring the successful training camps of visiting international teams including multiple visits from the British Athletics endurance team. 

Gavin was Assistant Coach to a group of elite Kenyan runners under the tutelage of Renato Canova working with Global Sports Communication. During this period the groups’ successes included Abel Kirui’s Silver Medal in the London 2012 Olympic Marathon and Florence Kiplagat breaking the half marathon world record in Barcelona. 

After moving back to the UK at end of 2013 they settled back to Loughborough where they live with their son Jacob and Whippet Yego. Lauren works part-time at the Insitute of Swimming in marketing and Gavin heads up the Running Trips Office. 

Gavin continues to compete in road and xc events with a Half Marathon PB of 68:48.

Gavin hosts the Running Trips Podcast you can read more about Gavin’s coaching on his coaching profile here.

Most of their work is behind the scenes in the Running Trips Office in Loughborough. Gavin & Lauren have a decade of experience in organising training camps for runners and are perfectly placed to deliver a service that sets the standard in training camps. 

Gavin & Lauren will often be present at UK based Training Focus Camps ensuring camps run smoothly. They will be mainly in the background but you can rest assured that they are ready to help if any need does arise. 

Gavin has previous experience of coaching elite runners in Kenya and was part of British Athletics ‘National Coach Development +’ program upon his return to the UK and will sit on the expert panel and relay his experiences from Kenya.