Dr. Sidy Diallo Did 72 Marathons and Three Ultramarathons in 2020

By Dr. Sidy Diallo
 
To Run or Not to Run: That is the Question

To run or not to run is a matter of health. So I ran 72 marathons and 3 ultramarathons in 2020 to lead by example in reaction to the lockdowns, travel bans and race cacellations.

Long-distance running is not only a fundamental human right, but also an obligation, because it’s a vital human activity to catch quadrupedal animals for food, stay fit and healthy, boost our immune system and get the powerful hormones of happiness—the endorphins.
 
As I explain in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival, the human body is not designed for our lifestyle, hence the quest for endorphins in damaging addictions to food, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, money, power, gaming or cruelty; the resulting vicious circle of oppression and voluntary servitude; and the surging pandemics of chronic diseases (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, depression, dementia, many cancers, infertility, erectile dysfunction, etc.).
 
According to WHO, these diseases “kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. Cardiovascular diseases account for 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes).”
 
In other words, long-distance running—preferably barefoot to prevent injury and pain—is good for you, but bad for business, because it’s the free, safe and most effective solution to many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, dementia and COVID-19.
 
So I ran 72 marathons and 3 ultramarathons in 2020 to lead by example in reaction to the lockdowns, travel bans, race cancellations, etc. According to my Garmin, I ran 3,640 km in 2020, which include neither my runs during the first French strict lockdown—I did not keep the records—nor my indoor marathon.
 
Strong motivation and smart creativity were the key to keep running during the mentioned lockdown, because we’re allowed to run only one hour a day within one kilometer from our homes, and only on the asphalt; the national and the local police were zealously patrolling the streets, parks and forests; and some of those who were obediently aggravating their comorbidities were secretly snitching to the police on those who were trying to preserve their physical and mental health, and boost their natural and effective defense against COVID-19.
 
I could run only 3 official marathons in 2020, namely the Miami Marathon, the Malta Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon. I did the other races in the Paris area. My purpose was to share inspiration and to show that travel bans and race cancellations should not prevent the running community from doing the right thing for our physical and mental health. Arguably, few people listened. As a result, for instance, many gained weight and shifted the blame on the pandemic, as if the virus had calories...
My book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).