Ethiopia and Kenya - The Hotbeds of the Marathon World

If you know anything about the marathon world, you've heard the names Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Brigid Kosgei, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw. You have probably heard the name Eliud Kipchoge who is most famous for breaking the 2 hour mark for the first time ever in the marathon. There is more than one thing that these people have in common other than being stellar athletes: they are all from either Kenya or Ethiopia. Kenya and Ethiopia are located on the eastern side of the continent of Africa and are known for being running hotbeds of the world. These two countries are home to some of the most rigorous marathon training camps in the world and produce THE BEST distance runners. To put this into perspective, 19 out of the 20 male fastest recorded marathon times EVER were run by people from either Kenya or Ethiopia. Isn't that crazy? Even more insane, 88 out of the fastest 100 recorded marathons were run by men from either Ethiopia or Kenya. In addition to this, 74 out of the 100 fastest marathons run by women EVER were from either Ethiopia or Kenya. The question that emerges is: how is it possible that so many good marathon runners can be from these two countries? Is it genetics? Training? Environment? Culture?

I just want to make it clear that there are many other countries, mostly from Africa and specifically Eastern Africa, that are home to incredible marathon runners. Some of these countries include Eritrea, Uganda, and Tanzania. I chose to focus on Kenya and Ethiopia because they are the two most common origins of ethnicity amongst the elite of the elite Marathon Runners.

Kenya (orange) and Ethiopia (green)

Firstly, I want to focus on the physical features of Kenya and Ethiopia. Both countries are thousands of feet above sea level and have a mountainous environment. Kenya has plateaus reaching an average height of  4,921 feet above sea level while Ethiopia has a high central plateau that varies from 4,232 to 9,843 ft above sea level. The plateaus in both countries are surrounded by mountains that exceed 10,000 feet. The importance of all this is the high elevation. A higher elevation environment entails higher performance training. When you train at higher elevations you develop more endurance. In more detail, it increases oxygen flow to your muscles. There is science behind this! At higher elevations, there is less oxygen in the air and when athletes train at higher elevations, their bodies produce more red blood cells, which allow their blood to carry more oxygen. The hormone that is responsible for increased red blood cell production is erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is secreted by the kidneys in our bodies and this happens when cellular hypoxia occurs. In turn, the release of EPO stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow. As red blood cell production is stimulated, and as it increases, it raises your hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that helps blood carry oxygen all throughout the body. This process is a negative feedback loop! EPO is actually used to treat anemia. Bodies naturally build new red blood cells when they are in conditions of low oxygen. This advantage is not significant when they compete at higher elevations and against people from the same area. It is significant when they compete and run marathons at places with lower elevations around the world. The athletes get a natural boost to their muscles when additional oxygen is available (at lower altitudes). 

Erythropoietin Cycle

Runners in Kenya Training

Red Blood Cell

Mount Kenya

Secondly, I want to talk about the physiological aspect that pertains to the bodies of Kenyans and Ethiopians. When you think of someone who is really fast, you may start to picture someone that looks similar to Usain Bolt: 6 feet 5 inches tall, with long legs, and muscular. This body type is not ideal when it comes to distance running. The best distance runners in the world are usually 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds. For example, Eliud Kipchoge is 5 foot 6 inches tall and 115 pounds. This body type is ideal for distance running because it is the most efficient. In other words, a lower body mass has a clear thermal advantage when running in conditions in which heat-dissipation mechanisms are at their limit. The typical build of a marathon runner from Ethiopia or Kenya is exactly this: small, compact, and highly efficient for long distances.  An average Kenyan’s leg is 400 grams lighter than those of their European competitors, which translates to an energy saving of 8% when running. Over time, communities in Kenya and Ethiopia that produce these world-class runners have evolved and developed superior physical traits better suited for running. 

Eliud Kipchoge

Thirdly, the running culture that surrounds Kenya and Ethiopia is like no other. At young ages, Kenyan and Ethiopian children are running everywhere, especially, school! Many of the nearest schools by villages/communities are miles away. Children have to go to school and based on the circumstances that they live in, they are forced to run to school. Not only does running to school every day serve as a form of training from a young age, but the important detail is also that most of these kids run to school barefoot. Running barefoot increases your foot strength and teaches you to strike the ground softer when you run. And that is a fact! If your feet are strong, then your legs are strong, and then your body is strong. Everything builds from the bottom up so children from Kenya and Ethiopia develop this advantage from a very young age. Do you want to know a fun fact that connects to all of this? Ethiopian Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon running barefoot!

Barefoot Runner

Runners from countries like Ethiopia and Kenya are at the forefront of the marathon world and due to their culture, training, and environment, they have consistently obtained victory. Their historic tradition, physiological evolution, and unprecedented practice have allowed them to sport gold.