- Born to Run (National Best Seller)
- A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
- Christopher McDougall ©2009
- Vintage Books (A Division of Random House)
- ISBN 978-0-307-27918-7
- 282 pp. (ppbk.)
A Mexican tribe, the Tarahumara live in isolated mountains and can run for hours–often for a hundred miles a day. This author, McDougall wanted to meet these runners and confirm their ability. He eventually met an ex-pat American known as Caballo Blanco, who knew the Tarahumara and was himself a runner.
Eventually McDougal convinced some Tarahumara runners to compete in fifty-mile races in theUSA. They won easily. With Caballo Blanco’s help McDougal arranged for famous extreme distance runners to race these Indians in theirCopperCanyonterritory. American racers included Jenni Blake, a young woman and her friend, Billy Barnett. These two seem to indulge in every activity that should guarantee losing races.
The author’s account of the race events keeps readers enthralled and the winners are a surprise.
McDougall writes of research on how extreme distance runners train and win and the health aspects of running barefoot like the Tamahumara Indians. Their style is quite different from modern racing techniques. The author also says Nike shoes create injuries that barefoot runners avoid. Since this book was written, Nike has created a ‘barefoot’ type shoe.
An interesting book even for non-runners.
- Born to Run
Amazon.com (where to buy this book)
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