Dr. Sidy Diallo ran barefoot the 90.2 km of the legendary South African ultramarathon and crossed the finish line without pain, injury or fatigue.
The 2018 Comrades Marathon
Date: June 10, 2018
My Time: 11:13:04
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
The 2018 Comrades Marathon is so far my only ultramarathon 2.0, i.e. an ultramarathon I ran without any shoes.
The “Down Run” started at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg. When I crossed the finish line in the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban—after running barefoot for over 11 hours—I was feeling so good that I could have started immediately another marathon, while thousands of shod runners did not finish, and many finishers could barely walk.
From Shod Running to My First Ultramarathon 2.0
Although it took me just 4 months of adaptation before I could complete a barefoot marathon without pain or injury, I needed 3 years for the Comrades Marathon.
When I decided at 60 to get rid of the sneakers in 2015, one of my goals was to run barefoot the Comrades Marathon. I first ran the whole distance of the 2016 Comrades Marathon with minimalist shoes. I ran barefoot the first 63 km of the 2017 Comrades Marathon, then I put on minimalist shoes to prevent unnecessary pain or damage.
Finally, I easily ran barefoot the 2018 Comrades Marathon just 7 days after achieving in Germany my fastest barefoot marathon (3:37) and placing second in my age group.
My purpose is to show that we all can readapt to barefoot running, regardless of age, gender or melanin density. It’s the biology. The 2015 Two Ocean Marathon (56 km), also in South Africa, is the last race I ran with sneakers.
The World Best Road Race
The Comrades Marathon is not only the best and oldest ultramarathon, but also the world best road race. I explain why in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival, chapter XXVI: The Great Persistence Hunting in KwaZulu-Natal.
Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
My Time: 11:13:04
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
The 2018 Comrades Marathon is so far my only ultramarathon 2.0, i.e. an ultramarathon I ran without any shoes.
The “Down Run” started at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg. When I crossed the finish line in the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban—after running barefoot for over 11 hours—I was feeling so good that I could have started immediately another marathon, while thousands of shod runners did not finish, and many finishers could barely walk.
From Shod Running to My First Ultramarathon 2.0
Although it took me just 4 months of adaptation before I could complete a barefoot marathon without pain or injury, I needed 3 years for the Comrades Marathon.
When I decided at 60 to get rid of the sneakers in 2015, one of my goals was to run barefoot the Comrades Marathon. I first ran the whole distance of the 2016 Comrades Marathon with minimalist shoes. I ran barefoot the first 63 km of the 2017 Comrades Marathon, then I put on minimalist shoes to prevent unnecessary pain or damage.
Finally, I easily ran barefoot the 2018 Comrades Marathon just 7 days after achieving in Germany my fastest barefoot marathon (3:37) and placing second in my age group.
My purpose is to show that we all can readapt to barefoot running, regardless of age, gender or melanin density. It’s the biology. The 2015 Two Ocean Marathon (56 km), also in South Africa, is the last race I ran with sneakers.
The World Best Road Race
The Comrades Marathon is not only the best and oldest ultramarathon, but also the world best road race. I explain why in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival, chapter XXVI: The Great Persistence Hunting in KwaZulu-Natal.
Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
Dr. Sidy Diallo ran barefoot the 2018 Comrades Marathon
Le Dr Sidy Diallo a couru pieds nus le Marathon des Camarades 2018
Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo among shod runners of the 2018 Comrades Marathon
Dr. Sidy Diallo finishing barefoot the 2018 Comrades Marathon in the Moses Mabhida Stadium
Le Dr Sidy Diallo termine pieds nus le Marathon des Camarades 2018 au stade Moses Mabhida
Dr. Sidy Diallo’s 2018 Comrades Marathon Certificate
A race officer firing the Comrades Marathon final gunshot, which means that no more runner can cross the finish line, even those who are just few centimeters or feet away after running 90 km.