The recent results in the Rotterdam marathon (April 10, 2016) showcased the good showings by the high altitude Peruvian marathon runners.
Most of the Peruvian elite runners hail from two cities - Huancayo - located at 3,271m above sea level and Puno, on Lake Titicaca at even higher - 3,830m above sea level. It never gets hot in these areas, because of the altitude. The caveat is that sunlight tends to be intense, so eye protection is necessary. Premature degeneration of the cornea is common in these regions.
Former Mexican great - Rodolfo Gomez - has been doing a great job in Peru for the past two years, re vamping the system and instilling good training conditions in the Huancayo region. He has been well rewarded by the Peru Federation for Athletics.
In Rotterdam, last Sunday - Christian Mendoza, from Huancayo (a mestizo) finished 8th in 2:12:16, and his fellow Huancayo city teammate - R.Huaman, finished 10th in 2:13:26. Huaman is a native Quechua culture person and Quechua first language speaker, which bears absolutely no connection to the Spanish language - the language of their (Peruvian people) Conquistadores.
In the women's race in Rotterdam - Yucra - from the very high city of Puno, on the shores of Lake Tititcaca - finished an excellent 4th in 2;31:34. Yucra is a also an ethnic Quechua person, and uses Quechua as her first language. These are very simple, unassuming people - who will lift mountains for Gomez. Gomez tried training the athletes in Lima, the capital, but the Peruvians there have become too soft. The way to go is to recruit the High Andes natives, preferably Quechua culture people - who have a very good work ethic and morals.
These highland Peruvian runners are not blessed with great speed, but they have superb endurance, of course thanks to living at altitudes of 3500m or above all their lives. These altitudes are considerably higher than Iten (around 2300m) and Addis Abeba, not to mention the lower atlitudes of Ngong Hills, Nairobi, which is situated around 1600m. They tend to be around the same height as Japanese runners, but slightly more chunky, because of the more muscular aspect of their physiques. They typically range in height from 1.60 - 1.65m - men, and 1.50 - 1.60 - women, with weight - 10 - 15kg lower than their heights in centimeters, giving them BMIs in the 19 - 20 range. Gomez can bring a 29:30-30:30 male (10km) runner to the level of 2:10 - 2:12 in the marathon. For women, the base 10km speed of 34:00 can produce times in the 2:26 - 2:30 range.
There are pros and cons to the high altitudes. At the Peruvian elevations, top speed quality work on the track is compromised, by the high altitude, but at the same time, the continuous production of 'globules rouges' is a positive factor for the marathon.
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Peruvian runners - the new rivals to Kenya/Ethiopia and Japan
Report Thread
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Yes and they are also into doping. Just like some Kenyans, Ethiopians, the Russians and Rupp.
http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-odepa-confirms-gladys-tejeda-tests-positive-for-doping-107353 -
Just goes to show that if you give a group of athletes uninhibited ability to dope, you'll end up producing a few decent performances.
Kudos to peru. Hopefully they don't catch their ban before Rio. -
That 'doping' alert (against female runner - Tejeda) - was a 'one off.' She was taking meds for a condition, and was not aware of the meds being on a prohibited list.
The High Andes Peruvian runners are ethically very high moral and non cheating people. They are much more honest than the lowland people. I have found the same thing to be true in Ecuador and Colombia - high altitude people are mostly honest and do everything above board. This is due to the example of their humble parents, who never put a foot wrong.
Ghost in China,
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Yeah. After seeing that title I was going to say that I thought Peruvians were short and stocky. The ones that I've met anyway. I've thought about doing some mountain climbing in Bolivia and possibly Peru. Most likely just Bolivia though. Illimani and Huayna Potosi. That part of the world seems cool.
Do you plan on continuing to teach? I remember when you used to be in Saudi. You should go to Vietnam. They are cool there. -
Yes a lot of the times they are honest people, however, they have managers or sponsors that are not that moral. These kind, of athletes usually get abused as people takes advantage of their economic need and ignorance.
Some of them probably can't even read, so it's easy for the people that take a cut from their earnings to put them under different kind of substances. -
They are relatively poor, and have little money; not rich like Americans. Who exactly would be paying for these drugs Americans are so worried about?
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Same people that is taking them to run to Europe? For prize money?
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This is just an assumption they are probably clean, ethical athletes but you never know. I just saw this documentary last week and I'm very disappointed about athletics. This and all the scandals in different athletic federations make you skeptical about the success of certain athletes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLfbqqAEKwo&nohtml5=False -
Nope. Travel gear, coaches, travel expenses and lodging, drugs, ... someone would have to be investing. Peru is not like NOP. They don't have a benefactor like Nike to pay athletes, and provide state-of-the-art training facilities, and free gear.
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artud2000 wrote:
This is just an assumption they are probably clean, ethical athletes but you never know. I just saw this documentary last week and I'm very disappointed about athletics. This and all the scandals in different athletic federations make you skeptical about the success of certain athletes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLfbqqAEKwo&nohtml5=False
Where there is money there is an incentive to cheat. But, you have some sort of financial backing, and skill, to invest to become the "best" you can be. The most powerful and rich countries have long dominated sports. There are many reasons that is true, and will likely remain so. -
None of the times you list are even close to the performances of runners from any of those three countries.
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Ghost1 wrote:
That 'doping' alert (against female runner - Tejeda) - was a 'one off.' She was taking meds for a condition, and was not aware of the meds being on a prohibited list.
The High Andes Peruvian runners are ethically very high moral and non cheating people. They are much more honest than the lowland people. I have found the same thing to be true in Ecuador and Colombia - high altitude people are mostly honest and do everything above board. This is due to the example of their humble parents, who never put a foot wrong.
HAHAHAHAHA!!! -
They are not close to the times of the top Kenyans/Ethiopians and/or Japanese yet, because they are still relatively new to the game. It is a work in progress for Rodolfo Gomez - the former Mexican start (2:09 marathon, and 27:56 - 10,000).
He is taking very humble highland Quechua people, with short legs and not much speed and turning them into 2:11 (men) and sub 2:30 (women) marathoners - which is very good for an under developed nation, and particularly the Highland Andean regions of Peru - where the native Quechua people have always faced a kind of discrimination from the dominant 'ladino' mixed blood - Mestizo people (white Spanish blood) who rule the country.
What is admirable is to take some of these guys to the 2:11 level in the marathon, despite basic leg speed which is quite modest (14:20/5000, and 29:30 - 30:20 - 10,000 track speed). If you put some of those guys in a 1500m race, flat out, they would have trouble running faster than 3:55 (equal to a 4:13 mile) yet they can bang out the 5 minutes miles in the marathon, which is much closer to their native speed, compared to most world class marathoners, many of whom are much closer to 4 minutes mile speed at their best. So they are operating close to their max.
One other thing - if any of those Quechua Indian runners took prohibited substances - it was certainly not of their own volition - because they (the Quechua Indian highland people of Peru) are the most honest, down to earth people you would ever want to meet.
In Peru, the above fact is exemplified by the relatively low crime rates in the Highlands compared to coastal cities like Lima, which are rife with crime and corruption and other not so nice things.
Ghost in China,
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I heard they have a thorough and comprehensive anti-doping programme down in Peru. They just ask everyone if they are doping and the honest Peruvians tell them.
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Ghost, you have quite a woody for this area right now, don't you?
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Ghost1 wrote:
They are not close to the times of the top Kenyans/Ethiopians and/or Japanese yet, because they are still relatively new to the game.
Then they're not rivals, are they? -
i believe in years and decades to come,peru will be THE country to really watch out for,in long distance running.theyll improve in middle distance,as well,and perhaps also run good ultra races.they may never quite beat the kenyans,and ethiopians,but their numbers will grow,and their depth will improve.i also think to a lesser extent ecuador,and maybe even bolivia will be countries to watch out for.
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Not really. If you look at recent results, Peruvian runners were good in Rotterdam or marathons with similar wheather conditions.
But none of these runners were sub 2:14 in a hot marathon. (Pacheco finished second in Toronto Pan Ams with mid 2:17)
Anyways, Peru is doing fine with 10 sub 2:18 athletes (Daverso Ramos, Jhon Cusi, Jordan Ccope, Raul Pacheco, Raul Machuacay, Willy Canchanya, Serapio Galindo, Nelson Ito, Christian Mendoza, R.Huaman) and 10 or twelve females with sub 2:45.
This is very good depth for all the countries not named US, Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, and possibly 2 or 3 European Countries.
But this is not exclusively due to high Andes altitude or Rodolfo Gomez training sistem.
Another South American runners are performing better than before, not living in altitude.
Moreover, another "mostly flat" countries, are developing more marathoners with Olympic Standards in the Rio qualification period (2015-2016).
For example
-Chile with four sub 2:18 athletes, Aravena, Estrada, Yañez, Encina
-Uruguay with two sub 2:18 athletes: Martin Cuestas and Aguelmis Rojas.
-Argentina with 2 athletes in 2:15 (Mastromarino, Molina) and another 1500m specialists -Federico Bruno and Javier Carriqueo- are going to run in Hamburg next week, Bruno is looking for 2:13high/2:14 mid, and Carriqueo 2:15). Miguel Barzola (2:15:00 PB) have a shot in London Marathon also.
-Paraguay with Derlis Ayala qualified for Rio in Rotterdam with 2:17.
In Females (remember, the Olympic Standard is 2:45):
-Argentina have 3 qualified girls in sub 2:39 times. and another 3 girls in sub 2:45.
-Paraguay with Carmen Martinez in 2:36
-Chile with Erika Olivera and Natalia Romero in sub 2:43,
These times are not "elite", but they are slowly developing Olympic depth.
Look at Federico Bruno next week in Hamburg. He's 22 years old, and remember, he was running in the Pre Mile last year (4:00 for the mile, 3:38 PB in 1500, 7:54 in 3000m, 13:53 in Mt. Sac. Relays finishing his preseason). He has a sub 3:33/sub 13:20 in his legs. But he's going to run the marathon. The point is...track is not giving money prize!!! These athletes are finding sponsors. And sponsors in South America are paying the bills only for road races (because "masses participation" concept, and the market is mainly oriented to the hobby joggers "finishing" marathons in sub 5') -
The noble savage schtick is really old.
