So many successful marathon runners come from Kenya and we can’t help but wonder why. Recently, a runner named Eliud Kipchoge unofficially broke the world record by finishing a marathon in less than two hours, albeit under special conditions. He’s just one of the many runners that comes from this African country and it can’t just be an accident.
One new study reveals that the reason behind this may be surprising. Turns out, the success of these athletes comes from the fact that they were really skinny as kids. For decades, we have believed that Kenyans are just naturally gifted for running and that their lifestyle only helps. The study showed that the low BMI was the only quality of the Kenyans that really stands out, not how much they walk every day during school years or what they do in their free time.
Nobody really knows the definitive answer to the question of why Kenyans seem to always beat all the other nations. In fact, runners from other countries that come behind them on big races are only a few minutes behind and all of them are incredibly successful marathon runners. What makes the most sense is that a combination of biology, training, culture, and determination brings the Kenyans to the very top.
