JohnMD1022 wrote:
Dale Story of Oregon State won the men's NCAA XC barefoot in 1961, I believe it was.
Here's a pic:
http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/archivemenu/33-archive/390-ncaa-cross-country-mens-champions-1960-69I believe Bruce Kidd was famous for running barefoot, also in the 1960's...that was on the track, I don't know about cc. And track in his day was cinder, not really ideal for barefoot.
Bruce Tulloh won the European Champs 10k barefoot in 1962.
Ron Hill was shoeless in the Mexico city 10k.
JohnMD1022 wrote:
Dale Story of Oregon State won the men's NCAA XC barefoot in 1961, I believe it was.
Yep. And Dale was from Orange, CA. Went to the same high school as Mary Decker.
Gary Oldman wrote:
Bruce Tulloh won the European Champs 10k barefoot in 1962.
Ron Hill was shoeless in the Mexico city 10k.
Add Neville Scott (NZ) to that list. Probably more Kiwis from the Lydiard era. NZ had way more grass tracks than cinders back then.........WAY MORE.
messi wrote:
Gary Oldman wrote:Bruce Tulloh won the European Champs 10k barefoot in 1962.
Ron Hill was shoeless in the Mexico city 10k.
Add Neville Scott (NZ) to that list. Probably more Kiwis from the Lydiard era. NZ had way more grass tracks than cinders back then.........WAY MORE.
Yes, but Tulloh raced on cinders and Hill ran on tartan in Mexico. Grass was not a necessity for barefoot running.
I've ran 400m-1k repeats on rolling grass terrain, a good drill for foot strength. However, if the grass is wet or there is exposed mud then spikes are much grippier and more stable in my experience, especially if you are really hammering downhills.
That being said, Terre Haute didn't look too bad for steepness/mud. IAAF XC are usually not that steep either, but often crazy with mud. We have a winter series XCs, mostly on snow/ice, so gluck with the barefoot thing (yes, i know Wim Hoff ran a half marathon in the arctic barefoot, but he wasn't exactly smoking fast).
Abebe Bikela in Rome, 1960. 'Nuff said.
Google It wrote:
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/11/21/4622082_ccu-cross-country-standouts-take.html?rh=1
Woah...Is that one chick tiny or is the other huge?.....That little one's right at suckling level.....
pic looks really weird indeed
The fact they are SAs and the fact that Budd is their coach probably has something to do with it. Btw, SA kids do run barefoot, but all of the older and certainly the elites I can think of race in shoes. With that said, the NCAA Champ course on a dry day lends itself to barefoot running, but on a less manicured and wet course running without spikes would seen to put you at a disadvantage.
The bigger story and what I am most impressed with is the fact that Coastal had 2 runners make NCAAs. I met Zola Budd at a road race several years ago, she still runs as is quite good. She is super unassuming and down to earth...you get no sense that she is the same athlete that accomplished so much and under incredible circumstances.
I didn't think anyone ACTUALLY ran barefoot.
relative wrote:
I noticed in this pic that runner number 75 from Coastal is barefoot; has anyone else noticed any other barefoot runners in the field?
http://www.letsrun.com/photos/2014/ncaa-cross-women/imagepages/image359.php
Her right foot looks like it is missing a couple of toes.
Coastal Carolina’s Letitia Saayman and Kyla van Graan are apparently gfrom South Africa.
Before:
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/11/21/4622082_ccu-cross-country-standouts-take.html?rh=1
After:
http://www.goccusports.com/sports/c-xc/recaps/112214aaa.html
Letitia is maybe 5-0 while the van Graan girls are 5-7 or 5-8 probably. You should hear them yelling for each other if they are in different races...craziest Afrikaans you've ever heard
qrkid wrote:
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday... wrote:The two women in question, running for Coastal Carolina are from South Africa and Zola Budd Pieterse has been an asst coach at CC for a few years now. These things might have something to do with their choice of unshod feet.
Zola being an assistant might have something to do with it but I will bet anything that both of them grew up running barefoot. It is pretty normal in South Africa to run barefoot, and it seems it is even more common in the Afrikaans community of which both the Coastal ladies are from.
As for the people above who are concerned that they might hurt their feet. Running cross in the veld of the Free State or around Alberton dam most probably made Terre Haute seem like running on indoor carpet for those young ladies.
The first sub 4min mile (3:59.7) in S.A was run barefoot by De Villiers Lamprecht on 13 November 1964, on a gravel track in Coetzenburg.
Any word where Lisa Pieterse will go to college? I am guessing she will end up at Coastal with the Van Graan sisters come Fall 2015