I never had the sense that anything was out of bounds or hidden. Of course, the convictions are proof that doping exists, but when you consider the number of top-level athletes in the area, the percentage caught cheating is similar to the rest of the world.
The Kenyan story is certainly not simply one of superior doping practices. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Find out more, and sign up to This article was originally published in Populous Magazine, our biannual publication featuring news, information, and trends from the worlds of sport, entertainment, and major public events.
Find out more, and sign up April 8, Categories Magazine. Growing up without shoes, without protective cushioning under your feet, means you learn to connect with the ground and move more efficiently.
Top Kenyan runners, almost without exception, hail from rural backgrounds. Most of the Kenyan runners who dominate marathons worldwide train and live in the high-altitude Rift Valley. Iten, one of the towns that produces elite runners, sits nearly 8, feet above sea level in western Kenya. Training at high altitudes contributes to a running dominance that makes running at lower elevation child's play, Onywera says.
Then there's diet and constant motivation. Iten has become known internationally as the place where long distance champions are made. So much so, runners from around the world go there to train before major races. Running aficionado and author Adharanand Finn spent a lot of time in the town trying to find out the secret to Kenyan marathon runners.
And when I saw there was no book, or at that time no films, on the subject, I decided to go there and write one. His book , "Running with the Kenyans," gives more insight into what he found out. And there is no one major secret, he says.
It's not one thing but a perfect storm of elements that come together in Kenya's Rift Valley region to make the people there so strong at distance running," Finn says. There's the location, the way of life, the environment. Experts believe that this led to the development of high aerobic capacity which means that their bodies take in more oxygen and use it more efficiently to generate energy.
This includes, but is not limited to, genetics, physiology, nutrition, coaching, and mental and emotional preparedness. Kipchoge is at his peak. In , he tried to become the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours. He will make a fresh attempt this year and I have no doubt that he can do it.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. By providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy. Skip to navigation Skip to content. Discover Membership. Editions Quartz. More from Quartz About Quartz. Follow Quartz. In , the top six Boston finishers were East Africans. Three of the top four women also were from Kenya or Ethiopia. American Jordan Hasay, who finished third among the women, was the lone exception.
Arinze Esomnofu is a Nigerian media professional, content editor and a freelance journalist. He is currently the country manager for Flashscore Nigeria. Skip to main content. Desisa surged late to grab the lead then withstood a finishing kick from Kitata to win the Why this matters Since bursting on the scene at the Mexico City Summer Olympics, Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners have dominated.
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