If you choose your camp wisely, you could wind up at a spot where the make a dozen or so corny "scary" movies about it...or something.  You could also learn a lot about running, do a lot of running, meet some other runners, meet some members the opposite sex, and so on...

There are a lot of camps out there, and there are quite a few very good camps out there.  I personally did not go to running camp when I was in high school from 1988-92, but good friends of mine like the Brothers Lear and Jason Vigilante went to Green Mountain Running Company and met a lot of people.  They did well for themselves there.  I worked at A&P in Pluckemin, NJ.  To this day, I would encourage you to avoid the salad bar there.

Actually I would encourage you to avoid salad.  Salad sucks.  So do vegetables.  And Stanfurd. 

Anyway, running camps.  Pick one in a place and with organizers that not only interest you, but are successful.  Coaches with experience running camps are key, as well as experience coaching good runners and teams.  Not many people would want to sign up for a NJ Nets basketball camp these days right? 

-I shall start with one near and dear to my heart...formerly Heath Camp, of CBA fame...now known as Bennett Camp.
http://www.bennettrunningcamp.typepad.com/




Chris Bennett is a CBA and UNC alum, and also ran post-collegiately with The Farm Team in Palo Alto.  He's married with kids, teaches at his alma mater and is an assistant coach.  He may never be Tom Heath, even if he replaces him someday, but he is a bit better at running these days. 

Obviously CBA guys have always gone to the camp.  This past year, the venerable Coach Wayton brought his West Windsor South boys there, including Syracuse-bound Sam Macaluso who's having a studly senior year. 

If I were a HS kid again today, I would follow the best I could find, so I'd probably go to Bennett Camp...unless of course there ends up being a Don Bosco Camp, too...because they did the winning last fall.  Sorry Heath and Bennett, kidding-ish.

-Next camp...XCU Camp also in Pennsylvania in The Poconos.
http://www.xcucamp.com/

This camp is run by Jim Schlentz, the coach at Colts Neck HS.  Coach Schlentz has a reputable resume at all levels...HS, college and post-collegiate.  Perhaps the best executed, perfectly peaked performance I have ever seen is from a runner Schlentz coached...Women's Olympic Trials 10000m, Atlanta, 1996:

Kate Fonshell...big winner in that race.

There are a variety of topics and training methods covered here, a great staff, and very good teams like Voorhees, Chatham, etc.  In recent years, Colts Neck has produced legendary performers like Craig Forys and Ashley Higginson, and continues to excel. 

-Next camp...Runningworks Camp
http://www.runningworks.com/
Headed up by Marcus O'Sullivan.  If you go there, you will break 4:00 in the mile, whether you're a dude or a chick.  Don't tell them I said that.  Its located in Canadensis, PA.  I'm beginning to wonder if there are any cities or towns in Pennsylvania, or just camps?  Cherokee HS's successful coach, Steve Shaklee and wife Cricket Batz also run the show.  Staff includes college athletes from Villanova and elsewhere, and there are always incredible guest speakers...Bob Kennedy, Steve Holman, Suzy Favor, Bobby Curtis, even Adrian Blincoe have all graced the microphone. 


Those few are my favorites, but there are many more great ones...the aforementioned Green Mountain Running Camp in Vermont  http://www.greenmountainrunningcamp.net/
still attracts local teams like girls MoC champs Hillsborough.

-http://www.5starxc.com/
5-Star Cross-Country Camp...visited by Bernards HS, my alma mater.

Also, find a camp at colleges that interest you...most have them.  Go to Boulder or Flagstaff...avoid Stanfurd...and Eugene. 

Want a somewhat obscure spot for Jersey types?  Try this:
http://www.whitepassxccamp.com/
An incredible place in Western Washington, just south and east of Mt. Rainier...awessome views, great trails and dirt roads at a bit of altitude, tremendous weather.  Mike Johnson is still involved in the camp, he was my coach at The University of Washington.  At the end of the summer of 1993 (I'm old) we held our training camp at this spot...we wound up being the first and still only men's team from Washington to win PAC-10's, and wound up 8th at NCAA's.  It was a great week.  I almost got stampeded by elk(s) on a quiet morning run, but that may have been my fault.  Probably the prettiest place I have ever visited...and good for running.