this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2024
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Damn, that's interesting!
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Maybe a small advantage, but they also have a culture of training specifically for long distance running. That's almost all of it. The size of your ankles doesn't matter if you don't practice.
There are better ultra marathon runners in Mexico who look nothing like these Kenyans. They barely warm up with a marathon, so they don't place highly. They are good because their culture involves running ultra marathons. They will keep running for fun long after everyone else has died.
Training is what matters. If you went and joined a running club in Kenya, you would be able to beat any Kenyan who didn't practice. It's 99% practice.
Ultra marathons are an entirely different sport from the 10k, and even marathons. Obviously training matters, but we also don't have to pretend all humans are identical and only training and grit separate them.
My point is, you are putting too much emphasis on genetic gifts. Take a sport like basketball, where being tall is clearly an advantage. It's a much bigger advantage than "small calves" are in running. You basically can't play in the NBA at all unless you're 6ft or taller.
Even among people 6ft 9 and up, you really have to practice with a good teacher. Someone who's a foot shorter will easily beat you if they are good.
Running isn't just "moving your legs". There's strategy that these guys learn from their running group at a young age. They practice running as a sport. That's why they're good.
It's the same reason why people from the US, who are all genetically different, play basketball and baseball better than most other countries. They practice it competitively when they're young.