The Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Runners

This week Anna and Amber run through the history of the Rarámuri of Chihuahua, Mexico. It's more than just sandals and beer, folks! Plus, a rundown of some of the biomechanics of ultramarathon running, and a theory for how Homo sapiens successfully overran Europe.If you’d like to learn more about this week’s topic, why not start with:“The Tarahumaras,” from GEOG 571: Cultural Intelligence, Applied Geography, and Homeland Security (Penn State)The Sacred Corn Beer of the Tarahumara (NPR)Tarahumara Runner Lorena Ramírez Makes History at Spain’s Ultramarathon (Remezcla)Decorated Tarahumara Runner Calls on AMLO’s Support so She Can Continue Racing (Remezcla)The legend of the Tarahumara: Tourism, overcivilization and the white man's Indian (International Journal of the History of Sport)Harvard Professor Explains How the Tarahumara Run So Well in Those Sandals (Remezcla)Strike type variation among Tarahumara Indians in minimal sandals versus conventional running shoes (Journal of Sport and Health Science)1975 advertisement for The Earth ShoeAthletic shoes with reverse slope construction (Justia Patents)The science of elite long distance running (The Conversation)Early humans won at running; Neandertals won at walking (Phys.org)Choguita Rarámuri (Tarahumara) Phonology and Morphology (UC Berkeley Dissertation via eScholarship)