Barack M. wrote:
Running is 80-90% talent dictated by genetics. The East Africans are superior in this regard. Why is that so hard for Americans to accept?
We used to run against the Kenyans at our WAC conference meets and they were a different type of human being with skinny bodies and long legs. I saw them briefly at the start and I might as well have been a jogger after that.
Before the wave of East-Africans, the 10K WR was 27:30ish from the mid-60s through the 70s and were set by guys that couldn't break 4:00. The East-Africans are just as strong and can run 3:50 or faster which has resulted in 10 seconds per mile improvement in the WRs. The physiques of the top East-Africans runners allow them to be more comfortable at a faster pace. How many Americans have you seen with a body and stride like Mo Farah? And Mo wasn't raised at altitude and id not run to school.