Why is the United States not as competitive as East Africa in distance events?

That's a solid question too. Very interesting.

It would be very interesting to do a series of studies about the genetic and cultural pieces that make up running prowess in different cultures.

Presumably the genetic gifts of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners come from their ancestors living, running, and hunting at altitude for thousands of years (please correct me if there is an incorrect assumption and they come from somewhere else).

I wonder how other cultural groups around the world who also lived, ran, and hunted at altitude compare genetically and in actual performance to East African athletes. American Indian tribes living in Colorado, Utah, Montana, parts of Mexico, etc. likely had a similar historical situation and placed a high cultural value on running.

Second, it would be interesting to compare the performance differences between two cultures where children running to school is very common. Many people like to attribute the success of East African distance runners to their running to school everyday as a child. Kenya and Ethiopia cannot be the only countries in the world where this is common. What are others, and how do they compare in performance in distance events?

Obvious trolling, but did it in a fairly understated way. 9/10.

I think there are obvious genetic differences, appearing as actual physical attributes, that give the E. Africans the advantage.

It looks like the East Africans have leaner, stronger muscles, longer legs with shorter torsos, and narrower shoulders. All good for distance running. Whites of European descent look stubby and awkward running next to East Africans. I used to laugh at my Italian friend as he raced Kenyans because he looked like a troll comparatively (with stubby, overly-muscled legs.)

genetic question wrote:

I think there are obvious genetic differences, appearing as actual physical attributes, that give the E. Africans the advantage.

It looks like the East Africans have leaner, stronger muscles, longer legs with shorter torsos, and narrower shoulders. All good for distance running. Whites of European descent look stubby and awkward running next to East Africans. I used to laugh at my Italian friend as he raced Kenyans because he looked like a troll comparatively (with stubby, overly-muscled legs.)

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There was a runners world article back in the early to mid 90's that addressed the genetic / body habitus differences between East African, West African, and caucasian runners. There was a picture of Carl Lewis on the cover I believe and the article was entitled "White Men Can't Run". It was interesting article. The OP should look it up if he/she is interested.....

If you guys can't look at the typical east African distance runner and NOT see a difference between Europeans you need glasses. I'm a pretty thin guy, but when I stand next to a Kenyan at the starting line I feel like a damn line backer.

Look at their legs, ankles & calves.. they're like birds. They are basically lungs on legs, and that pretty much true of most successful distance runners. That group just happens to represent the best that human beings can be at this endeavor.

Clubber Lange wrote:

Ethiopia and Kenya have more genetically gifted runners that are more driven to succeed by their economic circumstance than American runners.

More genetically gifted than Hall, Ritz, Rupp, Solinsky, Mottram (not American of course, but same European ancestry), Webb, Flanagan, Radcliffe, etc?

I think that there are a lot of Americans who are as genetically gifted as the East Africans, but such a tiny percentage of these people run that the US just doesn't have the numbers to compete or to generate that truly top-of-the-heap runner.

If running were the number one sport in the US and he best way for kids to get rich or leave poverty behind, then the US running would be on par with the East Africans.

odball wrote:

If popularity of the sport, in relation to the overall population, was important, then Kenya would be much much better in football (or soccer, as you may know it). It's far more popular in Kenya than running in the general population.

But they suck at it, and absolutely dominate the world in distance running.

No, you have to look at it relatively. They may be into soccer, but not nearly as into it as England, the Netherlands, Brazil, etc, and they don't have the opportunity to get there. Therefore they may be "better" at soccer than running but the rest of the world SUCKS at running. Relative to the rest of the world they are the most distance running-obsessed country.

I dont care if this is a troll or not. My mission is to get people to understand that more people do high school track than any other sport except football. Let me repeat:more people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except footballmore people do high school track than any other sport except football maybe this will help.

Also 75%+ of college football teams lose money. Should i repeat that one too? Just because your AD or the cool kids or ESPECIALLY the tv tells you something doesnt make it true.

Also its not East Africa. If it was just east africa you could prob get away with the cultural/money etc stuff.

Its Kenya. period. and like the other guy said its really the Kalenjin. If you think a group of 4 million people can be as good as 6+ billion people without having some kind of genetic gift then...then.. well fill in your own outraged comparison but they can't.

Doing track and running distance are not the same thing. I think at most high schools the number of sprinters, jumpers, and throwers vastly out numbers the amount of distance runners. As far as I know the United States is generally very good at these activities. Furthermore, even within the reduced number of kids who run distance, the effort they put in is minimal. A lot of them are soccer players staying in shape and girls trying to lose weight. On many high school teams, that leaves a few kids who do distance running year round as their main sport. That doesn't really compare at all to sports like basketball and football.

ahem... wrote:

More genetically gifted than Hall, Ritz, Rupp, Solinsky, Mottram (not American of course, but same European ancestry), Webb, Flanagan, Radcliffe, etc?

Umm . . . yes?

These are people who DO devote themselves to running, and they still get their asses kicked (maybe with the exception of Radcliffe in the marathon).

Being genetically gifted includes being able to train at a high level without being injured.

There's a reason Bekele looks like he was born to run at 4 minute mile pace, while Solinsky looks like a lumbering giant.

Why is East Africa not as successful as the U.S. in the Sprints?

more capillaries per muscle fiber..born at altitude versus sea level...simply leaner and meaner--look at how these guys are built...quick racking your brain it's a physiological thing...

Africans work harder. period. Other countries' runners are softer because it does not mean as much to them in terms of the quality of their lives. Running is basically a hobby for most of the top US guys. They give it a shot for a few years after college and then get on with their lives doing any of many things they can do. not so for the East Africans. It's life and death for them and their folks which explains why they work harder. No shame in admitting that Westerners!

nodesire wrote:

Africans work harder. period. Other countries' runners are softer because it does not mean as much to them in terms of the quality of their lives. Running is basically a hobby for most of the top US guys. They give it a shot for a few years after college and then get on with their lives doing any of many things they can do. not so for the East Africans. It's life and death for them and their folks which explains why they work harder. No shame in admitting that Westerners!

Perhaps you didn´t read the previous posts.

It would be interesting to know if the Nepalese Sherpa, born and bred at high altitude for centuries and exceptional mountaineers, had running potential.

den bosch wrote:

odball wrote:

If popularity of the sport, in relation to the overall population, was important, then Kenya would be much much better in football (or soccer, as you may know it). It's far more popular in Kenya than running in the general population.

But they suck at it, and absolutely dominate the world in distance running.

No, you have to look at it relatively. They may be into soccer, but not nearly as into it as England, the Netherlands, Brazil, etc, and they don't have the opportunity to get there. Therefore they may be "better" at soccer than running but the rest of the world SUCKS at running. Relative to the rest of the world they are the most distance running-obsessed country.

You're wrong. Kenyans are MAD about soccer in some ways even more than Europeans and South Americans. Some nutjobs have even comitted suicide when their favourite teams lost.

Because they come from a peasant background where mental and physical endurance is a preresquisite just to get to school in the morning - never mind as an actual hobby. Combine that with the effects of altitude and a genuine enthusisam for distance running and you have the perfect formula. The depth of talent speaks for itself.

And I'd add its more cultural than genetic. It's no surprise the all-time lists are dominated by athletes who come from tough, peasant backgrounds. Whether an Ethiopian like Dibaba, a Kenyan like Cheriyut or even a Chinese like Wang Junxia, the backgrounds of these athletes are remarkably similar.