Black history Salute! to Abebe Bikila and the Trailblazing African Running phenomenom!

The bare-footed Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila won the Rome Olympics, in 1960, with a time of 2:15:16.2 which was a new world best dethroning record holder Emile Zatopek of Czechoslovakia.

Read on…

Even more so, unlike all his predecessors from 1908 to 1960 who were on the brink of collapse and fell several times before officials helped them cross the line, Abebe made it with style adding a couple of laps and some fitness exercise. For instance, Italy’s Dorado Pietre finished in 2:54:46.4 with the help of officials. The victory of Abebe in Rome is special to Ethiopia. Once again Ethiopia emerged winner, bare-footed, in spite of Rome. This was to remind the world that the Ethiopians spirit has won once again over Italians during the resistance movement. Think back to King Menelik’s defeat of Italy at Ottawa.

The Rome Olympic Marathon race had also four special qualities: it was the first to start and end outside the stadium, the first to be won by a black African and the first where a bare-footed athlete won.

In light of this Abebe’s victory was a history for the whole of Africa too since Africa’s first participation in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games where only Ghana and Nigeria were present, Abebe’s gold medal was the only reward that Africa earned.

Abebe’s victory didn’t stop in Rome. Four years later, in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. he emerged a comfortable winner by setting yet another new world record at 2:12:11.2. Abebe, as a result, became the first marathoner in the history of the Olympic Games to break his own record in the marathon.

He was born in North Shoa at a place called Jetto Bina Deneba near Debre Berhan from his father Bikila Demissie and mother Woodenesh Beneberu. Abebe grew up with his brother Kinfu Bikila and sister Aschaletch Temtime. Like many in the country, he spent his early ages herding cattle and helping his parents.

His athletic talents were best seen upon his entry into the Imperial Body Guard in 1953. Oddly enough, it is confirmed, Abebe was dropped from enrolment in the army in 1948 due to his youngish age after five days of stay at the military camp. In 1957, he got married to Miss Yewubdar Giorogis and was to have six children, of whom two died.

Abebe was paralysed from the waist down for the rest of his life in a car accident which occurred while driving back home from Sheno to Addis Ababa on the 14^th of March 1968. He was flown to London to the Stockmandville Hospital.

Interestingly enough, though confined to a wheelchair, his athletic prowess never came to an end. He completed in archery and won special prizes in the 25 km and 10 km stage race in Britain and Norway. He died on October 25, 1973, at the Imperial Body Guard Hospital and buried the next day at St. Joseph Church in the presence of the former Emperor Haile Selassie.

But despite his untimely death, the great Abebe Bikila is survived by his four children: Dawit 28, Tsige 25, Yetnayet 22, and Teferia 20.

In his eight years athletic career, he scored several spectacular victories. He remains a mighty African inspiration for athleticism and perseverance.

The African Running Tradition continues to dominate.

Africans have been the dominating force in most running events for many years.

Take a look at some of the running records from the 100 metres right up to the marathon.

100 metres – 9.58 – Usain Bolt (Jamaica), west African decent

200 metres – 19.19 – Usain Bolt (Jamaica), west African decent

400 metres – 43.18 – Michael Johnson (USA), west African decent

800 metres – 1:41.11 – Wilson Kepketer (Denmark), northern Europe

1000 metres – 2:11.96 – Noah Ngeny (Kenya), east Africa

1500 metres – 3:26.0 – Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco), north Africa

Mile – 3:43.13 – Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco), north Africa

2000 metres – 4:44.79 – Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco), north Africa

5000 metres – 12:37.35 – Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia), east Africa

10,000 metres – 26:17.53 – Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia), east Africa

Half marathon – 58:33 – Samuel Winjiru (Kenya), east Africa

Marathon – 2:03.59 – Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) east Africa

Looking at that list of world records it is obvious that Africa dominates all running disciplines. There is only one exception to this trend and that is the 800 metre world record holder, Wilson Kepketer from Denmark, but hang on, wait a minute, surprise surprise, he’s of African descent, so he’s not really Danish at all.

Many studies have tried to explain why African runners have dominated distance running throughout athletic history. Some findings point to superior psychological advantage through stereotype threat. Others look at their environmental circumstances such as running long distances for the purpose of travel. I’m sure you have heard of the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners that had to run 20km to and from school every day. Well it turns out that this has some truth to it.

It has recently been shown that elite east African long distance runners had to travel long distances to school and did so mostly by running. Some athletes had to run upwards of 20km per day. A good example is Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. He would run over 10km each way to school and back every day. When he started competing he would run with a crooked arm. No one knew why until they figured out that it was a patterned response to having to carry books every day whilst running to and from school. No wonder he’s a marathon champion.

A study has shown that east African runners who used running as a means of transport regularly during their childhood have a VO2 max up to 30 percent higher than those who did not grow up under such circumstances.

In addition to the lifestyle factors as discussed, there are other non-genetic things contributing to east African endurance running performance. It must be noted that most of the Kenyan distance running champions come from the Rift Valley Province, which accounts for a mere 20 percent of the total population of the country. Also, east Africa is, on average, a high altitude group of countries in most regions and the Rift Valley Province is even higher than the other regions.

Endurance athletes have long used altitude training to increase production of red blood cells and hemoglobin, which are the cells that carry oxygen through the blood stream to be distributed to the working muscles. Combine this altitudinous environment with travelling on foot and a high incentive to run and you have a perfect recipe for a champion runner.

The success of west African sprinters in the last few decades has augmented the idea of black athletic supremacy. This idea developed due to the belief that similar skin colour means similar genetics. As a result there have been a number of studies comparing physiological characteristics such as VO2 max, lactate accumulation and running economy and higher fractional utilisation of VO2 max at race pace. In one study it was shown that black South African runners had lower levels of blood lactate than white athletes for a given pace. They also discovered that black athletes had better running economy. These things can all be explained mostly by non-genetic factors such as environment, lifestyle and training methods. However this would not be entirely accurate as there is some evidence to suggest that genetics also plays a significant role.

Being that west Africans are superior sprinters and not so good at endurance events, the black superiority theory has no grounding. For a theory such as this to have any foundation it would need to be consistent. If the colour of skin or continent someone is from were a determining factor then there would be consistency among athletes. If Africans are all genetically superior then why are all parts of Africa not dominated by the same running events? This is a complex issue and, in the case of west African sprinters, is more biologically determined than for the east African distance runners.

During a study it was discovered that Kenyan runners had a lower level of lactate accumulation during given training intensities when compared to Scandinavian runners of a similar calibre. They also found that the Kenyan runners had better running economy. However VO2 max was similar in both groups. Kenyan runners were found to also contain a higher density of muscular capillaries than the Scandinavians. What is interesting is that when junior Kenyan runners were compared to both the senior Kenyans and the Scandinavians there was no sign of superior lactate accumulation, running gait or capillary density. On the contrary, they were found to be inferior on each of these factors. This evidence points to the training, lifestyle and environment as being largely responsible for the differences since it‘s not an in-built characteristic. If genetics were the dominating factor then the junior Kenyan runners would show signs of superior endurance markers.

Clearly the dominating theme in non-genetic contributions to east African distance running success points to increased bipedal travel, specifically running, as a mode of transport combined with the environmental and cultural incentive attached to running in east African countries.

The limited studies conducted on the African running phenomenon leaves little insight into why champions arise from very small, isolated regions of small countries such as the Arsi region in Ethiopia and the Rift Valley province in Kenya. Most evidence, or lack thereof, points to the conclusion that there are no limited genetic isolates that indicate increased endurance running performance.

Without going into the scientific jargon of the study of genetics, we will look at a few reasons that point to east African distance running dominance…

Firstly they are built for it. Biomechanically east Africans have an efficient running gait.

Secondly they live at altitude, which for various reasons, contributes to increased oxygen uptake and utilisation efficiency.

East Africans have, on average, a higher lung capacity than other races. This may be due to living at altitude or maybe an evolutionary response to their need to run. However lung capacity only goes a small way to increase distance running performance. Elite rowers have some of the largest lungs of all but would make lousy distance runners.

The structure of east African’s muscle fibre distribution supports endurance activity.

These are a few reasons for their dominance. There are a few studies available that help to at least partly explain the genetic advantages that contribute to the African running phenomenon. However, at present it is largely theorised knowledge.

Genetics and environment aside, the African running phenomenon has a lot of contributing factors. One of the main ones is training. Africans are well known in running circles for their gruelling training practises. It is intensity, frequency and volume of effort that makes a champion. The human body is incredibly adaptable and will make attempts to adapt to just about any stimulus. There have even been children found living with wild animals that could bound through the grass with gazelles, reaching heights and speeds generally considered impossible for humans. Now that’s adaptability.

East Africans play to their strengths, as do west African sprinters. The heart, soul and effort that goes into their training is a major factor. After all, if you come from a western nation full of opportunity and choice then what motivation have you got to make a living as a professional athlete? You always have your college degree, job opportunities or investments to fall back on. Take the average American for instance, he/she is likely sacrificing wealth by pursuing running as a career. A Kenyan on the other hand is highly valued in their country if they have running ability at Olympic level. They have the opportunity to multiply their income hundreds of times by becoming a champion.

The African running phenomenon is worthy of awe and much further study and appreciation.

We of RBG FIT CLUB are thankful for the inspiration that their dedication and skill gives us all.

#Runner’s High

Black History Month Salute and much respect!