Olympics Flashbacks:
The science of barefoot running and winning gold
By Inverse
In the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, a previously unknown marathon runner named Abebe Bikila stunned the crowd. The 28-year-old bodyguard representing Ethiopia sped through Rome's cobblestone streets and — just half a kilometer from the finish line — pulled ahead.
Bikila sprinted so quickly that he came in at 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 16.2 seconds. This was 25 seconds before the next finisher. He broke the world marathon record and became the first East African to win a gold medal at the Olympics. All without shoes.
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Olympics Flashbacks: The science of barefoot running and winning gold
Inverse
"Humans weren't 'built' for anything, but we certainly evolved to run barefoot." Total Running Productions.
