Study: Running Form Of The Tarahumara Indians
Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman turns from the Kenyans to the fabled ultrarunners of Copper Canyon.
By Amby Burfoot
Photograph by Robb Kendrick for National Geographic Magazine
Harvard evolutionary biologist and running-form expert Daniel Lieberman doesn’t mess around when it comes to studying the most fascinating running cultures. Several years ago he published a widely-heralded paper about the forefoot-strike employed by many Kenyan runners. Now he has reported from Mexico’s vast Copper Canyon where the fabled Tarahumara Indians live and run.
Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara formed the framework of Chris McDougall’s best-selling Born To Run, the book that launched barefoot running and minimalist running. Copper Canyon is larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, and the huarache-shod Tarahumara have practiced long-distance-running contests for eons. Huaraches are rawhide- or car-tire-soled sandals. The Tarahumara have raced well on occasion in U.S. ultra races, and more than hold their own when U.S. runners travel to Copper Canyon for races. This despite the fact that they don’t “train” in any conventional fashion—an important point that Lieberman notes several times. To continue reading, please visit: http://www.runnersworld.com/minimalist-shoes/study-running-form-of-the-tarahumara-indians