Run Like the Wind: A Geographical Look At Kenyan Supremacy in Long Distance Running
In East Africa, there is an area know as the Great Rift Valley. It is in this Great Rift Valley, where the world’s most dominant long distance runners come from, Kenya. In the past three decades, runners from Kenya have simply dominated the sport of long distance running in all facets including cross-country, track, and the marathon. In the world rankings for marathon running, Kenyans hold 8 of the top 10 spots for the men and 6 of the top ten spots in women’s rankings. (Entine, Par. 2) But how can one country be so overpowering in a sport that anyone can participate in? There are a number of factors that all work together to make Kenyan runners the best of the best. Rigorous training regimens, the physical geography of Kenya, country and world support of the athletes, genetics and early participation of children are all factors in the study of why Kenyan runners are by far the best long distance runners in the world. To start off, you must look at the physical geography in which the Kenyans train.
Kenya is located in East Africa and is dominated by the Great Rift Valley. A rift valley developed from faulting
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First of all, they attend camps with other runners, which means they all run together, constantly pushing each other to go harder, longer and faster. This is much different from say, the United States, where long distance running is more of a personal sport. “Athletes from other countries fear hard training. They run alone, away from others. They are cowards.”--Moses Tanui, Kenya, Third fastest marathoner in history. Moses Tanui runs one of these camps in Kenya, where he hopes to mold young runners into world champions. Most of the camps are located in the highlands of Great Rift Valley, so as to take advantage the ideal training
Soccer has always been my passion. I started to play when I was in second grade. I have played continuously and am now a captain of the Suttons Bay Lady Norsemen. We are a high school cooperative team consisting of players from Suttons Bay, Leland and Northport. This is our fourth year of existence and we worked hard to establish our team and its killer reputation. The part that I am most proud of is that I was among a group of girls that helped convince the Suttons Bay School Board that our high school should establish a girls' high school team. We asked to be put on the board's agenda and prepared a persuasive presentation outlining the reasons that girls at Suttons Bay High School deserved their own team. We knew that money was not available to fund the team, so we promised to find it ourselves. The Board approved our team in the spring of 1997. Our team members and parents spent long hours in fundraising to pay for our uniforms, equipment, transportation, referees and coaches.
Many people argue that cross country is one of the hardest, most physically challenging sports there is out there. A lot of people shudder at the idea of running two or more miles on hilly, steep, muddy and rocky trails. The funny thing about that is that is not even the worst part. In order to run two to four miles in races, one must prepare. “How do you prepare your body to run this long?” one might ask. That is where my argument comes in. Being a cross country runner of four years, I have seen, done and heard of a plethora of ways and strategies to become a successful cross country runner. Some are outlandish, ridiculous and just plain out stupid; but some are also rewarding, beneficial and worth the hard work. Personally, I feel like having a good strong balanced diet, learning how to pace yourself and maintain a positive, motivational attitude and the key ingredients in being a successful cross country runner.
With a constant expansion of community with young athletes especially those of a younger age. the youth is becoming a prime target for most colleges, and professional teams. The cream of the crop is getting younger, so to speak. The youth are becoming the new outlet of skills and insight to constantly changing sports such as football, rugby, lacrosse, volleyball, track, and soccer. This is shaping the course of play towards new horizons based off of different ambitions and adaptations in training. One means of greatness will always be the same, run with purpose. whether its purpose to make a statement, improve your training, or be a better athlete. running is one of the key bases in many great athletes and can benefit any individuals sport dramatically.
Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)
Growing up in El Salvador, soccer was a sport that significantly impacted my childhood. My cousins and uncles taught me how to play soccer, as well as various techniques that would later benefit me on the soccer field. At the age of seven I started to play for one of most well-known soccer clubs in El Salvador. Practicing twenty three hours a week was really paying off, as I could see in my medal and trophy gain. Not only did they represent my accomplishments, but they also gave joy to my teammates, community, and family because they were the people who encouraged me to give my best. Playing soccer was also a way to release stress because when my family was going through hardships, it was easier for me to let all of my negative energy on the
Hult, J. S. (1994). The story of women's athletics: Manipulating a dream 1890-1985. In D. M. Costa & S. R. Gurthrie (Eds.), Women and sport: Interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 83-106). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
twenty to twenty five miles per day. At night, when camped, two oxen were necked
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“The sun never sets on the British Empire,” Great Britain often bragged. By 1914, about 85% of the earth’s surface was colonized by Europe. Between 1884 and 1885, The Berlin Conference took place to carve up the African continent (Background Essay). Europeans saw high potential in Africa and thought the continent was empty, even though it was not. It was roughly “untouched” and they thought they could do anything they wanted (Doc.1). Great Britain’s colonization in Kenya affected the country’s religion and culture, education, and government.
is a section of sports which is characterized by extreme risk-taking, where any mistake or failure might result in serious injuries or death. It is necessary to study this, as the individual undertakes this sport of his own volition, and every individual has different reasons to do so. Further, the impact caused by a single individual can be more potent in this setting. Thus, this produces challenges and opportunities for sustainable development.
Usain Bolt was born in Jamaica August 21, 1986 with a severe spinal condition. Even then he didn’t let that hold him back. As he was he was growing up he started become an all-around athlete that excelled in every sport but had a particular interest in badminton. He had always been exceedingly exceptional at running and participated many youth tournaments but until one of his coaches took him under his wing and began to train him he began to thrive in the event. It was then that his actual success began but that is also when the critics came as well. In Jamaica sprinting is a very serious sport and not without a reason many Jamaican sprinters have gotten at least one medal in the careers and many of them broke world records. At the time Usain Bolt became part of the Jamaican track and field team he had a lot track stars that h...
Kenya is a country located in the continent of Africa. It is believed that people first roamed Kenya more than 2 million years ago. Cushitic migrated from North Africa to Kenya. Although they were one of the first people to migrate to Kenya they have always been a minority. Arabian traders later emerged in Kenya and took over the country quite rapidly. They were searching for ivory, rhino horn, gold, and slaves to trade with other countries. The focal areas of trade within Kenya were Mombasa, Malindi and the Islands Lamu. As a result of their invasion, they left behind a Muslim culture for Kenyans to adapt to. Kenyans were also taught Kiswahili or Swahili to better communicate with Arabians; which in turn allowed Kenyans to make more money. Later, the Portuguese invaded Kenya and took control from Arabia. They wanted power over the Indian Ocean and control over trade in and out of Kenya. The Portuguese tried to influence Catholicism. During their reign, they
Soccer is a complicated sport with an even more complicated history. Indeed, many underestimate the stamina required to be successful, as players commonly run an average of six miles in an individual game (“soccer facts”).
When I grow up I will become a soccer player. I will become this because I really love the sport. I have played for soccer for seven years and I don’t plan to quit. I play as a forward on a select soccer team named the St. Louis Prospects.
Kenya is a very important country in the world basically due to its strategic location in the East African region. It is a country that has had an interesting political walk that despite the challenges it has faced, it has managed to pull through though with an interesting history to tell. There have been different regimes in the country since it acquired its independence. Worth noting is that these regimes have come into power through different ideologies and they have guided the country in different directions. The country was colonized by the British and acquired its independence in the year 1963. Notably, Kenya is considered to have been a colonial invention which had to contend with the colonialists.