If you search Google for the best runners in the world, the Tarahumara, an indigenous community living in northern Mexico, come to the fore very quickly. The Tarahumara show us how to run long distances. Because the majority of their life takes place at the height where they live and above all -walk-. As a result, they are used to little oxygen from the ground up. In addition, due to their nomadic way of life, they naturally cover large distances. But it's not just the fact that they don't stay in one place very long that makes them such great runners, but also their isolated lives.
As if this unimaginable distance wasn't impressive enough, they also run it in sandals! In addition, it is even said that there is a record of 700 kilometers within 48 hours. When a "Raramuri" took part in an ultramarathon through the Rocky Mountains in 1994, it was able to assert itself against a large competitor with handmade sandals as the winner. So it's possible: you can walk such a tremendous distance in minimalistic sandals. In any case, I immediately have a few questions about this...
1. How is something like this possible in principle? 2. What happens to the muscles, ligaments and feet? 3. All this in sandals, doesn't that make your feet hurt? 4. Which running style is the best for such a distance?
I'll try to answer each question in more detail:
1.) How something like this is possible can be deduced from various factors. The Tarahumara in particular live at high altitudes, where the oxygen content of the air is much lower than at lower altitudes. This means that they are already used to the thin air in their childhood, so the body can adapt excellently to its environment over many years. Many Tarahumara build tremendous stamina this way. In addition, the Tarahumara are very often forced to move on due to the harsh living environment. At the latest when basic food and water become scarce and the climate changes unfavorably, the time has come to start looking for a new suitable place to live. They usually cover huge distances and are well trained.
The Tarahumara were once as great as the Aztecs until they were driven out and killed by the Spanish conquistadores. "Raramuri" is a self-designation of theirs and means translated: "those who run long". They have always been long-distance runners, whereby 42 kilometers is often only half a distance for them. They run in the canyons of the northwestern " Sierra Madre”: rugged land four times the size of the Grand Canyon of the United States - sometimes bone-dry, sometimes waterfall-studded, lush green land. Her running skills and stamina are rightly considered legendary. For the men of the Tarahumara it was part of the hunt to rush the prey up the mountains "on foot" until the animals collapsed exhausted. At some point, the villages began to organize their own competitions among themselves - completely unnoticed by the rest of the world. One or the other also carried a few kilos of rice with them to stock up at home, so that the trip was worthwhile.
2.) Especially the "Raramuri", as they call themselves, have not only built up a good condition over the years, but are also very well trained in terms of muscles: the reserves are much better, the resting pulse is extremely low, the muscles are used to little oxygen, the energy requirement is optimized and ligaments are strengthened over the years and adapted to the high strain.The energy for long-distance runs on the go is usually provided by a special drink called 'Iskiate', which is also known in our latitudes as Chia Fresca: a drink that It consists mainly of chia seeds.The two main advantages of Iskiate are its properties as a water storage and as an energy supplier.By forming the immense gel body around the seed, a large amount of water can be stored by the seeds and slowly released back into the body after consumption The sugar added to this drink is made from honey or agave syrup also requires readily available energy reserves or suppliers. (Here is a good recipe)
3.) No, of course not! Yes - the legendary sandals, just great. If you ask the Tarahumara, they simply say that other shoes are far too uncomfortable, that sandals don't bump your feet and, especially over long distances, they don't get blisters. In sandals, the feet have air and you don't hurt your toes. In addition, the feet have optimal freedom of movement and are not disturbed in any way. Centuries ago, feet were only protected with raw leather tied around the foot. These days, sandals are made from scrap rubber or car tires. The lacing methods of the Huarache type are legendary because they found a way for a piece of leather or rubber to optimally stick to the foot without slipping too much. You can find a lot more information about the special lacing techniques, including the original Huarache lacing technique, here.
4.) Certainly a good forefoot or midfoot stride. The smooth running is also legendary. The art of the Tarahumara is the round, fast run with small, light feet and shorter steps. How do they do that!? It is clear that the Tarahumara are forefoot or midfoot runners: inside. With this running technique, every step arrives optimally at our natural foot cushioning, the arch. This is muscularly more demanding, since the calf and leg muscles are stressed in a completely different way, but in the end it is much more efficient - especially for bones, tendons and ligaments. In addition, the entire footstep is much shorter and the push-off from the ground is short and powerful. Like a light feather in the wind, they constantly run along...
You certainly won't see a single one of these great runners heel-to-toe: that would be far too tiring and very inefficient. In addition, it would put immense strain on bones and ligaments, so that a distance of more than 170km would certainly not be possible. By the way: the Tarahumara do not suffer from running injuries. How is that even possible? Numerous researchers have already tried to get to the bottom of this question...
