Does Geography Play A Part In East Africa’s Running Success?
I have noticed that the majority of East Africa’s successful runners come from three mountainous districts that run beside the Great Rift Valley. In Kenya, most of the country’s successful runners come from Nandi. In Ethiopia, most of the country’s successful runners come from Arsi and Shewa and Iten.
These locations benefit long-distance runners because of the altitude. This mountain air, when combined with endurance training, leads to an increase in red blood cells. More red blood cells, means that your body has more oxygen-storing haemoglobin passing through your veins. It also means carbon dioxide can pass more efficiently through your body.
This theory about training at high-altitude, and the increased efficiency this can lead to in the runner’s body, definitely makes a lot of sense. However, to say that geography is the only factor behind Kenya and Ethiopia’s running success does not tell the whole story. After all, there are people in Mexico, the Andes, and large parts of Central Asia that live above 2,000m. The fact that these areas do not come close to matching the success of Nandi, Arsi, and Shewa suggests there are other factors at play in the long-distance running success of East Africa.
