19 of the 20 fastest marathon times ever belong to runners from Kenya and Ethiopia. Here’s why.
Of the 100 fastest marathon times in history, 89 belong to runners from Kenya or Ethiopia. Furthermore, of the top 20 fastest times, 19 have been run by athletes from this region. What is it about the runners from these two East African countries that makes them superior at long-distance events?
In 2019, the global average time for this 26.2-mile race was 4:32:39, which is equivalent to a speed of about 10 minutes and 34 seconds per mile. The fastest officially recognized time¹, recently run by the late Kenyan distance runner Kelvin Kiptum, was 2:00:35, a staggering pace of exactly 4 minutes and 36 seconds per mile. This is a near full-on sprint for 26.2 miles. The marathon is not a sport that requires extensive finesse, strategy, or athleticism; it is a test of endurance – of how much one can push one's body – and at the highest level, with everybody pushing themselves to the absolute limit, there must be a scientific reason for why Kenyans and Ethiopians have unequivocally dominated the sport.
It turns out that it isn’t just one reason, but a combination of several environmental and cultural factors that enable Kenyan and Ethiopian runners to cover vast distances quickly. First, it is important to note that most of these runners come from small ethnic groups within their respective nations. The Arsi tribe of Ethiopia makes up only 5% of the nation’s population but produces most of their professional runners. Similarly, the Kalenjin tribe consists of around 13.4% of Kenya’s population, yet nearly every professional runner from Kenya is a part of this ethnic group (Wilber and Pitsiladis, 2012).
One of the most important reasons athletes from this region excel in long distances is the area in which they live and train. The Kalenjin tribe of Kenya has resided at the west rim of the Great Rift Valley, a terrain with rolling hills at an elevation of over 6000 feet above sea level, for centuries. The air is significantly thinner at high altitudes, meaning the body must work harder during aerobic exercise (exercise that uses oxygen and carbohydrates to create fuel). This is why runners often move to mountainous terrain to train for upcoming races. Yet, it isn’t just living at these altitudes, but also training consistently and with intensity that lends to Kenyan and Ethiopian dominance in distance running. Consistently running at their maximum aerobic capacity in high altitudes gives these runners an advantage by developing their bodies to perform under much more difficult conditions than those in which American, European, and Asian athletes typically train. Additionally, Kenya and Ethiopia have climates that are very difficult for running. Many runners consider the perfect temperature for a marathon to be about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s any hotter, an unprepared body can overheat or lose too much water through sweat, causing dehydration and ultimately leading to cramps and premature loss of energy. Because Kenya and Ethiopia are near the equator, they remain warm year round. This climate helps locals acclimate to higher temperatures, allowing their bodies to better regulate their core temperature.
No matter how advantageous one’s environment is, however, their success must come from an innate desire, perhaps even a necessity, to improve. Most families in the Kalenjin and Arsi tribes are very poor, creating a necessity for runners from this region to earn as much money as possible for their families. In all of Kenya and Ethiopia, the estimated percentages of families living below the poverty line are 36 and 68.7 respectively, and the percentage for the Kalenjin and Arsi tribes are suspected to be much higher (Issa, 2). Due to this poverty and the underdeveloped communities in which the Kalenjin and Arsi tribes typically reside, cars, buses, and bicycles are often unaffordable and impractical, and most people from these tribes rely on distance running as their primary means of transportation. This means that Kalenjin and Arsi children begin running long distances at a very young age to get to school, which is commonly over 6 miles away (Coomarasamy, 1). Routinely running these distances gives Kenyan and Ethiopian runners an advantage later on, as their bodies are well-equipped to handle high-mileage training weeks without suffering from overuse injuries. Additionally, professional Kenyan and Ethiopian runners often consider any result except for first place a failure, as they believe a lost race indicates they are not performing at the level that is necessary to provide economic stability to their families. Running pundits believe this is evidence of an intrinsic motivation that may give these runners an extra push when they need it (Hutchinson, 256). Over 33% of Kenyan runners indicated that financial success was their primary reason for running, whereas only 14% stated that they ran for prizes and glory (Wilber and Pitsiladis, 2012). Running is considered a legitimate career path in this region due to the success that families have seen their neighbors and friends achieve. This tradition of excellence and a strong desire for economic success cannot be discounted as an important reason for these runners’ competitive success.
An additional contributor to their success may be their efficiency. Studies have shown that Kenyans from the Great Rift Valley have legs that are well-equipped for running. In a study conducted in 2012, Professional Kenyan runners were found to have legs that were, on average, five percent longer and 12 percent thinner than Scandinavian runners (Wilber and Pitsiladis, 2012). Scientific evidence indicates that this is beneficial for running economy (the efficiency with which a person is able to run at high speeds for a long time; it is measured by tracking oxygen consumption at different speeds), as thinner, longer legs are less heavy and have naturally longer strides. This means Kenyan runners require less effort to move long distances over time.
Ethiopian runners have not been studied in terms of running economy, but from anecdotal evidence, they present an interesting contrast to Kenyans (Wilber and Pitsiladis, 2012). On average, Ethiopian runners are shorter and have a greater leg circumference (indicating their legs are heavier) than Kenyans, yet they are the only nation that can consistently compete with Kenyan runners. There is no scientific explanation for why this is, but perhaps being located close to Kenyan runners gives Ethiopian runners access to the fastest runners in the world to train with, and over time, Ethiopian runners are able to get used to the pace of the Kenyan runners.
This factor may be among the most fascinating contributors to Kenyan and Ethiopian success: other Kenyans and Ethiopians. It is remarkably advantageous to train with the fastest runners in the world, even if a person is not genetically gifted. Kenyan and Ethiopian runners are often seen running together and even partake in camps where they train together. The cordial community these runners have created is unique in the running world, most of which is very gated about training. Less experienced and talented runners improve as they learn from veterans, creating a prosperous community of runners. In essence, success in the running world can be taught and learned, and surrounding oneself with better runners may be the most important contributor to becoming successful.
While genetics, environment, and cultural factors all play crucial roles in the dominance of Kenyan and Ethiopian marathoners, one of the most compelling insights into their success in the marathon is the importance of community. Training alongside the best runners in the world, these athletes learn from one another, push each other, and create a culture of collective growth and improvement. This collaborative spirit serves as a potent reminder that success is not only determined by individual talent or effort but also by the people we surround ourselves with. Perhaps we can take a step in the right direction in the marathon of life by learning from Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners and surrounding ourselves with driven and talented individuals who can inspire us to reach heights we never imagined, turning personal potential into shared success.
Footnotes
¹ The fastest marathon ever recorded was run by Eliud Kipchoge, another Kenyan runner, on October 12, 2019. He completed the marathon in 1:59:40.2, which is a pace of approximately 4 minutes and 34 seconds per mile. This time is not officially recognized, however, because the race was set up specifically for Kipchoge to break the infamous two hour barrier. It was considered illegitimate for multiple reasons: for one, he had pacers that switched on and off during the race, following a formation to break the wind for him. Additionally, he was given hydration via a bicycle instead of at a stationary table, which is against the regulations of major marathons. Still, this feat was of paramount importance, as it disproved the long held belief that it was impossible for a human to run a marathon in under two hours.
Works Cited
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Issa, Zinah. “How Poor Are Kenya’s Major Ethnic Groups? - Zinah Issa - Medium.” Medium, Medium, 6 Aug. 2023, zinahissa.medium.com/how-poor-are-kenyas-major-ethnic-groups-7274ae0eeeab.
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