Tag Archives: barefoot running

Health and Fitness

Did Abebe Bikila manage to run a marathon barefoot?

Abebe Bikila was an athlete from Ethiopia who got the gold medal at Rome Olympics marathon on 10 September 1960 racing without shoes. He became a last minute inclusion to the team and the teams footwear provider, Adidas, did not have ample time to get running shoes for him. They had just had a couple of pairs of running shoes remaining, of which neither of them fitted him. Abebe made the decision he'd then run the marathon without shoes. For the following Olympic games in Tokyo in 1964, Abebe once again won the marathon, but achieved it this time around wearing running shoes and ran it quicker. He passed on in 1973 at the age of 41 from issues from a car accident. Abebe Bikila is honored and adored in Ethiopia having a arena named after him.

Abebe Bikila has a unique place in the historical past of marathons, especially from those who advocate and publicize barefoot running as they hold Abebe up as evidence that the marathon race may be run without shoes. Within the barefoot running community Abebe is an inspiration by having an almost god like reputation. There has been a trend quite some time back for eliminating running shoes and running barefoot. This was influenced by way of a large amount of websites, discussion boards, publications as well as social media commentary as something which was beneficial and better for runners. Many unsubstantiated promises was created for barefoot running, probably none of that stood up to subsequent critique. This craze survived a few years, most likely peaking around 2013-14 with probably around one fourth of athletes attempting it or having a go at it in one way or another. The fad rather quickly went away following the majority of athletes whom attempted it got an injury or found that it didn't live up to all of the claims which got devised for it. Barefoot running has today been banished to the history books, with simply a few serious barefoot running fanatics still running barefoot.

There was a great deal of science completed on barefoot running that runners who like to support and endorse barefoot running held these studies up as proof that barefoot running is better for you. Nonetheless, the analysis never actually indicated that at all and it was extensively misinterpreted. All the research confirmed has been that barefoot running was different to running using running footwear which was all it showed.

Health and Fitness

Can you run without using running shoes?

Running without using running shoes had been a craze which commenced around 10 years ago and lasted a few years. It became really popular however faded away equally as quick as it showed up. It was based on the theory that running shoes usually are not good for you and that running without them is much more natural and much better for runners. There were numerous books published about this, lots of websites promoting the promises and lots of social media activity affirming the presumed benefits. Nonetheless, what actually transpired is the fact that the advantages which were assumed for it did not materialized for nearly all runners which took barefoot running up and there turned out to be a quite high overuse injury incidence in runners who tried it out. Athletes before long returned to what they were experienced with and all the guru’s who started off endorsing it are no longer heard from.

There was never any evidence that barefoot running was actually any benefit. It had been largely made up promises based on anecdotes. After the research got carried out it revealed that many of the claims which got made up for it were just that, made up. The advantages over using running shoes are not there. Barefoot running is just different to using running shoes. Ever since the barefoot fad died off, there was a move to a lot more very cushioned running shoes. This was the exact opposite to the gimmick of barefoot and it too got termed as a fad. However, currently there aren't any indications of that trend to the high padded running shoes dropping off, therefore it is most likely safe to say that it is really not a fad but a long-term trend. Running barefoot or with traditional running shoes or using maximal cushioned running shoes are simply just distinct. One is not superior to the other and individual runners are going to have their own choices in regards to what they like to run in and that is fine.