They are runners. They were here before, they are here now, they will be here in the future. They are Tarahumara.

A native people from the Sierra Tarahumara. This area is also known as Chihuahua, Mexico - specifically residing in La Sierra Madre Occidental. The intention behind this blog post is to highlight the Tarahumara’s running traditions, discuss past and present adversities, and to learn more about the people that inhabit the state where I was born.

Source

Before we dive in, I want to credit my source which is an article found in “The University of Chicago Press Journals: Running in Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Culture Persistence Hunting, Footracing, Dancing, Work, and the Fallacy of the Athletic Savage”. All of the data and quotations come from this article. I highly recommend reading the entire 24 page document but if you’re short on time, this blog post can be a quick alternative.

DUSTY OLD WHITE MEN

There are many accounts of Westerners viewing the America’s native population as “noble” or hold the stereotype of the “athletic savage.” The article does a great job describing how the historically common European perspective towards the Tarahumara is rooted in “othering” native people.

By making a distinction between “us and them”, “us and the other,” European explorers can easily explain why the Tarahumara can achieve incredible physical feats. It’s because the natives are fundamentally different than Europeans. They are “other.” This viewpoint can later come in handy when Europeans justify the exploitation of the Tarahumara and native peoples in general. This is why in my blog post, I will omit the historical viewpoints from what I call “dusty, old white men.” Instead let’s focus on the running traditions of the Rarámuri - what the Tarahumara call themselves

CENTURIES OF RUNNING

In the America’s and in many other areas around the world, persistence hunting was very common method to obtain meat. This type of hunting is when “hunters target suitable individuals from a prey species and then chase them on foot over long distances.” The unique topography of La Sierra Madre requires hunters to refine their hunting abilities even further in order to succeed. Due to the importance of persistence hunting to survive, the Tarahumara developed foot races because why not make a fun sport out of a necessary life skill, right? (Yes, running is a fun sport.)

Competitive foot-races are “known as rarajípare for men and ariwete for women, [these] are part of an ancient, widespread, and diverse tradition of Native American running that is deeply community oriented.” The races can be short, 15-18 miles, or as long as 93 miles! To make this even more fun and challenging in rarajípare, “teams of runners use their toes to kick a wooden ball (komakali), about the size of a baseball, along the course without ever using their hands.” Jueces are present to ensure there is no cheating. The race course is typically predetermined and so are the number of laps. The competitors could be teams from neighboring pueblos. Oh yeah, and traditionally, these foot races are completed in huaraches (sandals).

There’s a celebratory atmosphere a week before a race begins including dances, pozole-making, and placing bets on the winner. “Traditionally, women wear skirts and the men wear loincloths and colorful tunics, but today more Tarahumara wear Western clothes including shorts and T-shirt.” Although many still complete the foot races in huaraches. The traditional clothing is so beautiful and colorful, it’s truly amazing!

MODERN FAME

Due to modernization and outside influences, foot races are less common now than they were in the past. While foot races are less common, the Tarahumara still acquired global recognition for their long-distance running which draws much attention when the Tarahumara compete in Western style races such as marathons and ultra-marathons. In these types of races, “the few Tarahumara runners who race outside the Sierra Tarahumara do well in trail ultra-marathons that demand the ability to run long distances at a slow, steady pace, but they do not do well at standard-length marathons (26.2 miles) or shorter distances.”

Unfortunately, due to this new found fame, some companies and Western race competitions exploit the Tarahumara culture to sell products and race bibs. Sadly, it appears that the cycle of exploitation continues to this day.

PERSONAL NOTE

My family is from a small town called Parral, Chihuahua. This is where my parents met. My mom would tell us stories of trying to become a nurse and as part of her training she was instructed to ride in a U.S. donated ambulance, up rocky roads, and into Tarahumara villages in order to administer vaccines. She was part of the Mexican government’s effort to vaccinate all of the inhabitants in Mexico, including indigenous people. She recalls it being difficult because of the journey, the fact that communication was limited due to the language barrier, and not to mention all of the cultural differences. This was in the late 1970’s.

In Mexico, racism and classism persist to this day. Being called “indio” (translated to Indian, which is wrong for so many reasons) is a common taunt and insult. I am grateful however, that my parents always celebrated our Mexican culture and taught us about our indigenous neighbors. When we moved to the U.S., I remember my mom kept various Tarahumara-made dolls and knick knacks around the house. I remember the doll’s colorful clothing. As a kid, I was unaware of the Tarahumara’s running history!

CONCLUSION

In a previous blog post, I’ve covered RUNNING TECHNIQUE which provides general recommendations for running form. Let the story of the Tarahumara be an example of how we can all come to the sport of running from different backgrounds, perspectives, and running styles. There is no right way to do it! I invite you to try it. See what you get out of it. Don’t bog yourself down on pace or time, just do it to do it. Who knows, you might become a runner. Get out there, join a beautiful history of running, and as always love and respect one another.

They are runners. They were here before, they are here now, they will be here in the future. They are Tarahumara.