Every year for the past several years, I see Kenya, Etheopia, Morocco, etc. And Meb and Kalid don't count, they were born and raised outside of the US.
I don't want to hear it's because of the altitude training, we can do that in the Rockies. I don't want to hear that it's there only sport, per captia we have more runners then they do.
Now, if PRE was around now, he'd beat them.
Meb came to America when he was 12...
We do have guys starting to get back to the ranks of the Rogers and Shorter... Culpepper, Dathan, Sell, etc. For some reason American distance runners fell behind the curve in the 90's, but I think we're making a come back. Everything works in cycles.
altho i do agree... guys like Khalid who join the US after getting big cause corporations can throw money at them don't really "count" as an American distance runner. But hey, I would do the same thing if some guy from Nike or New Balance was going to throw $$$'s at me to change my citizenship.
It would have been interesting to see what Pre would have done at a marathon distance.
Shut the f*** up!!!
if meb and kk dont count then why does the german born frank shorter?
"the average 18yr old kenyan boy has run an average of 18,000 miles more than the average american boy of equal age" - Salazar
That might have something to do with it.
Maybe because African runners are genetically and culturally predisposed to be better long distance runners? Or maybe they just dope?
it's something that goes beyond one individual, in his lifetime running x amount of miles, at altitude, in a pedestrian primitive and simple culture, basic diet based on simple foods etc. It's about many generations, spanning over thousands of years maybe, that make the huge difference. Their geographical location may also play a certain role as far as their ability for endurance running. There are people who run around barefooted in Sierra Leone, Mongolia, Peru, Albania and Bangladesh. I'm sure their diets are similar in consistancy with those of people of West Africa but their lactate threshold is not 4.35.
The fact that Meb grew up here doesn't matter. He still carries those magic genes of that particular area of the world where people are able to run 13.10 in their third race of their careers (like Paul Bitok did in the 1992 Olympics).
You have a host of countries in that area of the world centered around the Rift Valley that can put together some amazing XC teams. Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritria, Tanzania, Uganda,Rwanda etc. All these countries have some unbelivable national records in distance races some of which put to shame ours. Oddly enough our best runners are originally from that part of the world too.
The only other countrie who can challenge the people of West Africa are Qatar and Bahrain. I wonder what their secret is?
EAST Africa! EAST! Show me a map with the nations of the rift valley in the west and I will show you a right handed Randy Johnson.
Professor Borophil wrote:
EAST Africa! EAST! Show me a map with the nations of the rift valley in the west and I will show you a right handed Randy Johnson.
You got it boss, my bad!
genetic factors wrote:
Professor Borophil wrote:EAST Africa! EAST! Show me a map with the nations of the rift valley in the west and I will show you a right handed Randy Johnson.
You got it boss, my bad!
I was actually thinking about the West African model, which is actually the opposite of the Rift Valley people
big glutes and quads, powerfull sprinting body type
Man..I wish these threads would get either deleted or consolidated. How many times can the same topic come up?
I agree that a lot of it is genetic, but I also blame our culture. Here, we grow up thinking running is bad. It is used as a punishment. Kids get punished for running too much, too. Can't play tag because someone can get hurt. So then there's no way to burn off energy and they get diagnosed with ADD. Then they take their Ritalin and calm down enough to sit around playing video games all day. At least American children are safe from kidnappers, terrorists, killer bees, the flu, mosquitos, and spinach while inside the house.
um.... troll?
rrrunnning3 wrote:
Man..I wish these threads would get either deleted or consolidated. How many times can the same topic come up?
I agree. It's depressing to talk about it. Let's instead try to live the same way they do. Maybe we'll catch up in about 3000 years.
genetic factors wrote:
rrrunnning3 wrote:Man..I wish these threads would get either deleted or consolidated. How many times can the same topic come up?
I agree. It's depressing to talk about it. Let's instead try to live the same way they do. Maybe we'll catch up in about 3000 years.
Unless we are genetically ahead already and are declining.
Unless we are genetically ahead already and are declining.[/quote]
I like this explanation the best!
A couple of years ago, I was in Kenya (including Eldoret and the rift valley region) for a month. I noticed a combination of factors (that are typically mentioned when this discussion comes up), but when you see it for yourself in person, you quickly realize the difference between the way kids in Kenya grow up and the way kids in the US grow up.
Food. I average 50+mpw training for marathons, and I didn't run a single mile or hike a single mtn while in Kenya for a month. Yet, when I got home, I had lost 10 lbs (and I ate everything that was put in front of me). But it was mostly vegetables and fruit, and definitely no sodas, processed foods, or junk foods.
Exercise. Kenyans walk or bike everywhere (and often long distances). Salazar's comment above should not be dismissed too quickly. Few families have cars. Few families would spend their money to take a matatu anywhere. Kenyan's are constantly on their feet... walking, working, plowing fields, etc.
Altitude. Yes, US runners could train in the Rockies, but most Americans aren't born and raised in the Rockies. Virtually, all of the Kalenjin are born and raised at 6000+ of elevation.
Culture of running. Their sports heroes are their runners. I was there in April 2004 and the headlines of the East African Standard (the frontpage, not just the sports section) was the news of Kenyans sweeping Boston and London. Those are their heroes... unlike America.
Motivation to get ahead. There are so few avenues out of poverty in Kenya. Running is one of those for them. American kids don't have that extra motivation to get ahead in life by pursuing running.
genie wrote:
Unless we are genetically ahead already and are declining.
I have no idea what this is supposed to mean.
If Pre were still around, wouldn't he be somewhere around 55 years old? I don't think he'd be beating too many people.