Fast women race barefoot in South Africa two decades ago
Twenty years ago, George Aitkin watched from the sidelines as the world's best runners ran the cross-country championships barefoot. As he ran his own race, he endured the South Africa heat and noticed barefoot footprints on the course.
Twenty years ago, George Aitkin watched from the sidelines as the world's best runners ran the cross-country championships barefoot. As he ran his own race, he endured the South Africa heat and noticed barefoot footprints on the course.
Catching us up on important moment in running history this season in Cambridge, Ont. photographer George Aitkin. Aitkin has been photographing runners and races for decades. This week, we’re going back in time to the 1996 world cross-country championships in Stellenbosch, South Africa. We chatted with Aitkin about this day and what’s going on in his photo.
CR: Give us an overview of what was going on at this moment.
GA: This was at the world cross country championships in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 1996. Many of the junior girls from Kenya don’t run in shoes and the worlds is no exception. From the left (174) is: Edna Kiplagat, Caroline Jepkoech, Elizabeth Jeptanui and Nancy Kiprop. They were tenth, ninth, and fourth respectively.
Read more here: https://runningmagazine.ca/sections/runs-races/throwback-thursday-south-africa/
