Marathon: You Can Do It

I was reading Haile Gebreselassie interview on spike magazine and the great man was asked,

Why have Ethiopians been so consistently successful in distance running? His answer was

1. Genes - Haile Gebresellassie, Kenenisa Bekele, and Dibaba sisters were born in Bekoji. A small village in ethiopia with a population of 33,000. With such a small population their is a big chance this guys are related one way or another. See the story on Bekoji, the village of athletes
2. Teff, an Ethiopian food, a rich grain with lots of minerals
3. Poverty, - Ethiopian runners are one of the three wealthiest people in Ethiopia, the others are businessmen and politicians.  In a country of 80 million people, the majority live hand to mouth, and distance running offers the younger generation one of the few ways out.

   Dibaba has built a two story mansion in Bekoji village, the only other is Bekeles’. Motivated by such signs of success, thousands of kids have picked up running.

Related posts:

1. Bekoji : Where Ethiopian Runners Are Born
2. Haile Satayin Will be the Oldest Olympic Marathon Runner
3. Berlin 2008: His Highness Gebreselassie Breaks the Marathon Record for the Second Time
4. Ever Smiling Gebreselassie
5. Democracy and Its Impact on Kenya Running

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Tags: Ethiopian Runners, Marathon, Running, Training