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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Tarahumara Ultrarunners

Title: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen
By: Christopher McDougall

McDougall shares his journey in tracking down and meeting some of the greatest ultrarunners in the world, the Tarahumara Indians. The Tarahumara live in the rugged Copper Canyons of Mexico and keep themselves isolated from the rest of the world. They can run incredible distances with nothing but strips of leather strapped to their feet. With the help of the elusive Caballo Blanco, a man trusted by the Tarahumara, the author has the rare opportunity to meet these incredible athletes. Throughout the book, the author talks of other extraordinary ultrarunners and delves into the history of running in America.

I found that one of the most inspiring parts of this book is McDougall's description of a 50 mile race in the Copper Canyons, organized by Caballo Blanco, where the Tarahumara athletes compete with a small group of gifted ultrarunners from North America. I found this book intriguing and greatly inspiring. I will never look at running in the same way again.

"Glee and determination are usually antagonistic emotions, yet the Tarahumara were brimming with both at once, as if running to the death made them feel more alive." p. 91

View similarly tagged posts: non-fiction, history

Posted by cockerillj on June 15, 2010 at 12:18 p.m.
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