by Will Harlan
from http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/blogs/editors-blog/the-worlds-greatest-runners/
Once a year, though, the Raramuri wander down from their caves and cliffside huts to run the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon, a 47-Mile footrace that has attracted not only the top Raramuri runners, but also the best athletes from around the world. Ultra legend and seven-time Western States 100 Mile champ Scott Jurek ran the Copper Canyon Ultra in 2006–and lost to Arnulfo Quimare, a 27-year-old goat herder wearing hand-made sandals.
I ventured down to the Copper Canyons last week to join 225 other Raramuri runners and a dozen international running celebrities, including Hiroki Ishikura, Japan’s top trail runner. The day before the race, I tried on a pair of Raramuri sandals: I could barely make it 100 yards before my feet were screaming—the leather straps blistered the skin between my toes, and jagged rocks seemed to pierce the thin tire tread with every stride. After stepping inside in their shoes, my admiration for the Raramuri’s toughness was further magnified.
Sharing the trail with the Raramuri was the most powerful running experience of my life. I learned a lot from observing their graceful stride and smooth running form, but I gained even more from seeing the pure joy on their normally stoic faces. The Raramuri understand something about running that has taken me a lifetime to learn: running is not a chore one endures to lose weight or look good; it is instead a joyful expression of the human spirit. For the Raramuri, running is a spiritual act that deepens their connection to the divine.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Running People
The Running People
By Will Harlan • November 13, 2009
(from http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/blogs/editors-blog/the-running-people/ )
The reclusive Raramuri people are suddenly world-famous, thanks to Chris McDougall’s bestselling book Born to Run. The Raramuri—also called the Tarahumara—run virtually barefoot for hundreds of miles through the continent’s deepest canyons. McDougall’s book follows the Raramuri and American runners at the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon, a footrace where international elite runners like Western States champ Scott Jurek race alongside the Raramuri in their native canyons.
Last February, I ran—and won—the Copper Canyon Ultra….although the real champion of the race was Arnulfo Quimare, the first Raramuri to finish. The thirty-year-old goat-herder hiked 40 miles to get to the race start and wore hand-made sandals made of used tire tread and thin leather straps. He finished only a few minutes behind me and a world-class, professional, sponsored runner from Japan.Over 225 Raramuri runners participated in the event last year.
Sharing the trail with the Raramuri was the most powerful running experience of my life. Since the race, I have dedicated my energy to helping protect the Raramuri’s ancestral land and rights—and to preserve their running heritage. A new organization called Friends of the Running-People (Norawas de Raramuri) plans to expand the number of Raramuri races in the canyons. They also will be supplying the Copper Canyon Ultra’s awards given to Raramuri participants, in the form of traditional, locally-grown maize (seed corn), dried corn for cooking, and beans, as well as substantial cash. Not only are they helping the Raramuri achieve the calories needed to continue heir running culture and sustain their small farms, but they are also fostering pride and respect among the Raramuri for their running culture.
As simple as it sounds, the race and running programs have a fundamental impact on quality of life for the Raramuri. When communities in the region see the strength and beauty of a Raramuri runner, they respond with new respect for people they have considered lower class. And when the government sees them as a cultural asset, they are less likely to neglect or pressure them in ways that place their survival in jeopardy. Finally, but most fundamentally, when Raramuri see themselves as respected and valued, they are further encouraged to sustain their culture themselves, passing it along to the next generation.
By Will Harlan • November 13, 2009
(from http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/blogs/editors-blog/the-running-people/ )
The reclusive Raramuri people are suddenly world-famous, thanks to Chris McDougall’s bestselling book Born to Run. The Raramuri—also called the Tarahumara—run virtually barefoot for hundreds of miles through the continent’s deepest canyons. McDougall’s book follows the Raramuri and American runners at the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon, a footrace where international elite runners like Western States champ Scott Jurek race alongside the Raramuri in their native canyons.
Last February, I ran—and won—the Copper Canyon Ultra….although the real champion of the race was Arnulfo Quimare, the first Raramuri to finish. The thirty-year-old goat-herder hiked 40 miles to get to the race start and wore hand-made sandals made of used tire tread and thin leather straps. He finished only a few minutes behind me and a world-class, professional, sponsored runner from Japan.Over 225 Raramuri runners participated in the event last year.
Sharing the trail with the Raramuri was the most powerful running experience of my life. Since the race, I have dedicated my energy to helping protect the Raramuri’s ancestral land and rights—and to preserve their running heritage. A new organization called Friends of the Running-People (Norawas de Raramuri) plans to expand the number of Raramuri races in the canyons. They also will be supplying the Copper Canyon Ultra’s awards given to Raramuri participants, in the form of traditional, locally-grown maize (seed corn), dried corn for cooking, and beans, as well as substantial cash. Not only are they helping the Raramuri achieve the calories needed to continue heir running culture and sustain their small farms, but they are also fostering pride and respect among the Raramuri for their running culture.
As simple as it sounds, the race and running programs have a fundamental impact on quality of life for the Raramuri. When communities in the region see the strength and beauty of a Raramuri runner, they respond with new respect for people they have considered lower class. And when the government sees them as a cultural asset, they are less likely to neglect or pressure them in ways that place their survival in jeopardy. Finally, but most fundamentally, when Raramuri see themselves as respected and valued, they are further encouraged to sustain their culture themselves, passing it along to the next generation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)