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.
