Trail Running: A practice from the dawn of time

A practice from the dawn of time

For millennia, people have used these paths to hunt, find food and travel, and some cultures have completely assimilated running into their culture and mythology.

This is the case, for example, of the Tarahumara of Mexico, the Kalenjin of Kenya, the Mursi of Ethiopia, the Kung of Botswana, the Hopi of the United States and even the Aborigines of Australia.

Many of these cultures developed running techniques, training methods, and cultural practices specific to their communities.

In this article, we shine the spotlight on these exceptional people!

The Tarahumara

These breeders, on whom the excellent book "Born to Run" put the spotlight, would prefer to be called the Rarámuris - literally those who are light-footed - the term Tarahumara coming from the first missionaries.

These Native American people, descendants of the Aztecs, live in the Sierra Madre mountains in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico and have a tradition of running during religious ceremonies and festivals, during which they can engage in " ultra trail races” which can last several days.

While it is likely that centuries of natural selection have contributed to the development of excellent athletic qualities, their incredible endurance is also most certainly developed through their nomadic lifestyle, centered on breeding and which requires them to spend hours on the trails.

The Kalenjin

The Kalenjin are a group of related ethnic communities who live in the Kenyan highlands of East Africa. The Kalenjin are known for their long-distance running abilities and have a long tradition of running as part of their cultural and spiritual practices.

In recent years, the Kalenjin have become famous for their success in international running competitions, and many of the world's best long-distance runners come from the Kalenjin community. Since 1980, they have won 40% of the medals in long-distance and middle-distance running!

It now appears that part of their racing superiority may come from the abilities developed by their ancestors, who used running as a means of hunting and surviving in the rugged terrain of the Kenyan highlands.

But for Véronique Billat, director of the laboratory for the study of exercise physiology at INSERM, genetics only account for 30% of the superior performance of these athletes, the rest coming more from the cultural framework (training at altitude, type of training, practice since a young age etc.)

The !Kung

The Ju/'hoansi, more commonly known as the !Kung, are a group of indigenous people who live in the Kalahari Desert, which covers Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

They have long used running to travel and hunt, and it plays an important role in their culture. For them, being able to run long distances is vital to surviving in the harsh desert environment, and !Kung runners are well respected in their community.

The Hopi

The Hopi have a culture and mythology closely linked to long-distance running. They believed that their ancestors and animals taught them how to run and that these races were necessary to organize the world. The Hopi ran not only for practical reasons such as hunting and transportation, but also for ceremonial reasons such as chasing away misfortune and renewing their energy. Races between villages were common, and Hopi runners were highly respected for their speed in transmitting messages.

If in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the Hopis ran mainly for spiritual and practical reasons, the practice of running continued to be perpetrated in the 20th century, but in a dimension of maintaining physical form or performance. Some Hopi runners have thus been able to distinguish themselves at the world level, such as Louis Tewanima from Songòopavi who won the silver medal in the 10,000 meter race at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden or Nicholas Quamawahu who won the Long Beach - New York marathon in 1927.

Australian Aborigines

Aboriginal Australians have a long history with running. For thousands of years, they have used it to travel and hunt.

But running is also an important part of their traditional ceremonies and rituals. It’s a way for them to connect with their ancestors and the land. Aboriginal Australians also run to express themselves socially and spiritually.

The annual Sydney Morning Herald Sun-Herald City2Surf race, held in Sydney, Australia, includes a category for Aboriginal racers.