Barefoot running is the efficient way to stay fit and healthy, boost your immune system, improve your working memory, and prevent pain, injury and fatigue, so much so that doing a marathon will look like a walk in the park.
No Shoes, No Problems!
Since October 2015, Dr. Sidy Diallo, aka Dr. Barefoot has completed barefoot a 90 km ultramarathon and 117 marathons, including 15 barefoot marathons in 14 weeks in 2018 and five Marathon Majors: the 2019 Chicago Marathon, the 2019 New York Marathon, the 2021 Berlin Marathon, the 2021 London Marathon and the 2022 Boston Marathon. He finished all his barefoot races pain and injury free, except his first barefoot marathon. No shoes, no problems!
For almost five years Dr. Sidy Diallo ran marathons the way questionable experts claim that we have to. So he kept buying the newest and most promising models of sneakers, wearing compressing socks, an orthopedic insole, ankle and knee braces and taking multivitamins, chondroitin sulfate, etc., which surely worked well for their finances, but certainly not for the finances, feet and knees of Dr. Diallo, neither for the survival of many species, including Homo sapiens, because of the resulting acceleration of global warming. That’s the world we live in.
Fortunately—at least for Dr. Diallo and most barefoot runners—the asymmetrical information advantage is no longer on the side of the “experts.” Hopefully, hundreds of thousands of runners will soon overcome their barefoot phobia and join the slowly growing barefoot community, instead of incurring the risk of bikilization. That’s partly what the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is about.
Dr. Diallo also explains in that book why all humans, who still possess their physical or cognitive abilities, can and should run marathons to stay fit and healthy, and why we should run barefoot to prevent pain, injury and fatigue.
Ancient Greeks: the Best Barefoot Runners
The founding fathers of Western civilization are the greatest barefoot runners recorded in history. In 490 BC, Pheidippides—a professional courier known as hemerodrome in Ancient Greece--ran barefoot 240 km (149 mi) from Athens to Sparta to convey a request for help in the fight against the Persian invaders. The journey took him about two days, only to be told by the Spartans that they could not provide help, because they were celebrating an important religious festival. Pheidippides ran back to Athens to report the bad news. He then ran the 40 km (24.6 mi) to the battlefield near the city Marathon and back to Athens to announce the unexpected Athenian victory over invaders. Legend has it that upon delivering the message he collapsed and died from the exertion after running in few days about 560 km (348 mi).
Some of those who nowadays claim or think they have too evolved to be able to walk or run barefoot, will likely be amazed to learn that the best barefoot runners recorded in history are neither the Africans, nor any indigenous people of Northern Mexico, but the “evolved” white men of the cradle of Western civilization, i.e. Ancient Greece, where the barefoot culture was a fundamental component of their lifestyle, and where the word “barbarian” (βάρβαρος) was originated to describe all non-Greek-speaking peoples, thus including all other Europeans.
Moreover, nudity was a fundamental feature of ancient Greek culture, as explained on the website of the Olympic Games: “The Olympics became an integral part of ancient Greek society. Every four years from 776 BC to AD 393, thousands of people from all over the Greek world congregated for the competition. If you’ve ever seen the depictions of ancient Olympians on pots, bowls, and in other artworks, you will have noticed that they competed in the nude. Nudity was a fundamental part of ancient Greek culture, and the athletes would show off their physiques during parades in the stadium. Men would also work out in the buff, and the word ‘gymnasium’ actually comes from the Greek word ‘gymnos,’ meaning naked.”
When the “barbarian” Romans later conquered Greece, they zealously adopted all the ingredients of the Greek civilization, except one: the barefoot culture, simply because the Romans like most current Europeans were experiencing what I call ancestral barefoot phobia in my book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Barefoot phobia is still so strong that many people, when they see me running barefoot and smiling, not only think that I’m seriously hurting myself and experiencing horrendous pain in my feet, but also feel and express my “pain” on their faces. Some even shout: Ouch! Or the equivalent in their language.
Another striking evidence of persistent barefoot phobia is that while Pheidippides and other long-distance runners in Ancient Greece wore clothes and ran barefoot, most participants in current nudist races ironically do the opposite: They run with sneakers while the rest of their body is naked!
The “marathon” is named after Pheidippides’s barefoot run from the city of Marathon to the Greek capital. His example should inspire not only runners, but every one of us, and this article will hopefully help some people think again, get rid of stereotypes and act accordingly to stay fit, healthy and happy. The Athens Marathon follows the original course and finishes inside the Panathenaic Stadium, which is on the site of an ancient stadium, where for many centuries nude male athletes of the cradle of Western civilization participated in several competitions. Sadly, many people, including in Greece keep associating barefoot running with Bikila who ran only two barefoot marathons, then became a shod runner and later sustained serious injuries that terminated his career.
I started running barefoot at 60, which means there is no excuse. In other words, contrary to what some bipedal primates stupidly write on social media, I’ve never been running after animals in the African Savannah. On the other hand, the marathon is just the new form of persistence hunting, which explains why some finishers instinctively bite the metallic medals—as if they were actual animals—and proudly take selfies, which usually generate a lot of likes.
Some of those who nowadays claim or think they have too evolved to be able to walk or run barefoot, will likely be amazed to learn that the best barefoot runners recorded in history are neither the Africans, nor any indigenous people of Northern Mexico, but the “evolved” white men of the cradle of Western civilization, i.e. Ancient Greece, where the barefoot culture was a fundamental component of their lifestyle, and where the word “barbarian” (βάρβαρος) was originated to describe all non-Greek-speaking peoples, thus including all other Europeans.
Moreover, nudity was a fundamental feature of ancient Greek culture, as explained on the website of the Olympic Games: “The Olympics became an integral part of ancient Greek society. Every four years from 776 BC to AD 393, thousands of people from all over the Greek world congregated for the competition. If you’ve ever seen the depictions of ancient Olympians on pots, bowls, and in other artworks, you will have noticed that they competed in the nude. Nudity was a fundamental part of ancient Greek culture, and the athletes would show off their physiques during parades in the stadium. Men would also work out in the buff, and the word ‘gymnasium’ actually comes from the Greek word ‘gymnos,’ meaning naked.”
When the “barbarian” Romans later conquered Greece, they zealously adopted all the ingredients of the Greek civilization, except one: the barefoot culture, simply because the Romans like most current Europeans were experiencing what I call ancestral barefoot phobia in my book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Barefoot phobia is still so strong that many people, when they see me running barefoot and smiling, not only think that I’m seriously hurting myself and experiencing horrendous pain in my feet, but also feel and express my “pain” on their faces. Some even shout: Ouch! Or the equivalent in their language.
Another striking evidence of persistent barefoot phobia is that while Pheidippides and other long-distance runners in Ancient Greece wore clothes and ran barefoot, most participants in current nudist races ironically do the opposite: They run with sneakers while the rest of their body is naked!
The “marathon” is named after Pheidippides’s barefoot run from the city of Marathon to the Greek capital. His example should inspire not only runners, but every one of us, and this article will hopefully help some people think again, get rid of stereotypes and act accordingly to stay fit, healthy and happy. The Athens Marathon follows the original course and finishes inside the Panathenaic Stadium, which is on the site of an ancient stadium, where for many centuries nude male athletes of the cradle of Western civilization participated in several competitions. Sadly, many people, including in Greece keep associating barefoot running with Bikila who ran only two barefoot marathons, then became a shod runner and later sustained serious injuries that terminated his career.
I started running barefoot at 60, which means there is no excuse. In other words, contrary to what some bipedal primates stupidly write on social media, I’ve never been running after animals in the African Savannah. On the other hand, the marathon is just the new form of persistence hunting, which explains why some finishers instinctively bite the metallic medals—as if they were actual animals—and proudly take selfies, which usually generate a lot of likes.
Barefoot Means Barefoot!
“Barefoot shoes” are the opposite equivalent of The Emperor’s New Clothes (Danish: Kejserens nye klæder).
“Barefoot Means Barefoot” is the title of the final chapter of my book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Extracts:
“In the tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor’s New Clothes, published in 1837, all the adults were praising the majestic clothes of His Highness until a child finally exclaimed: ‘But he isn’t wearing anything at all!’
Two crooks had convinced the emperor to parade wearing the ‘new clothes’ they had made for him. The clothes were allegedly invisible to his incompetent or stupid subjects. But the emperor was in reality naked.
‘Where’s the beef?’ some people may ask. Well, the point is that Hans Christian Andersen was a great visionary author, because now we have the opposite cheating we can call: The Runner’s Barefoot Shoes. Sadly, this time it’s not a tale, because many people are incredibly convinced, like the emperor parading with his invisible clothes, that they are running with barefoot shoes. Folks, any kid will tell us: ‘With all due respect, there are no such things as barefoot shoes.’ Any shoes are shoes, and barefoot means barefoot, i.e. naked feet. And just for the record, here’s the definition of the adjective and adverb ‘barefoot’ by, for instance, the Cambridge Dictionary: ‘Not wearing any shoes or socks.’ But marketing gurus possess a highly effective secret weapon: their comprehensive knowledge of the gullibility and the herding instinct of humans...”
“Barefoot Means Barefoot” is the title of the final chapter of my book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Extracts:
“In the tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor’s New Clothes, published in 1837, all the adults were praising the majestic clothes of His Highness until a child finally exclaimed: ‘But he isn’t wearing anything at all!’
Two crooks had convinced the emperor to parade wearing the ‘new clothes’ they had made for him. The clothes were allegedly invisible to his incompetent or stupid subjects. But the emperor was in reality naked.
‘Where’s the beef?’ some people may ask. Well, the point is that Hans Christian Andersen was a great visionary author, because now we have the opposite cheating we can call: The Runner’s Barefoot Shoes. Sadly, this time it’s not a tale, because many people are incredibly convinced, like the emperor parading with his invisible clothes, that they are running with barefoot shoes. Folks, any kid will tell us: ‘With all due respect, there are no such things as barefoot shoes.’ Any shoes are shoes, and barefoot means barefoot, i.e. naked feet. And just for the record, here’s the definition of the adjective and adverb ‘barefoot’ by, for instance, the Cambridge Dictionary: ‘Not wearing any shoes or socks.’ But marketing gurus possess a highly effective secret weapon: their comprehensive knowledge of the gullibility and the herding instinct of humans...”
1. 2015-10-11 Zagreb Marathon: 3:57:13
2. 2015-10-26 Dublin Marathon: 4:59:12
3. 2015-11-08 French Riviera Marathon: 4:44:58
4. 2016-02-28 Malta Marathon: 4:27:16
5. 2016-04-03 Marathon de Paris: 4:27:49
6. 2016-04-17 Marathon de Nantes: 4:30:44
7. 2016-05-08 Geneva Marathon: 5:06:05
8. 2016-11-19 Suriname Marathon: 3:52:39
9. 2016-11-27 Curaçao Marathon: 4:15:24
10. 2017-03-19 Marathon de l'espace, French Guiana: 5:58:03
11. 2017-04-09 Rotterdam Marathon : 4:07:22
12. 2017-08-02 Hwange Marathon, Zimbabwe: 5:45:20
13. 2017-08-03 Chobe Marathon, Botswana: 6:42:59
14. 2017-08-04 Impalila Island Marathon, Namibia: 6:48:08
15. 2017-08-05 Zambezi Waterfront Marathon, Zambia: 7:44:05
16. 2017-10-01 Marathon de Lyon: 4:17:14
17. 2017-10-08 Marathon de Metz: 4:40:44
18. 2017-10-15 Amsterdam Marathon: 5:02:59
19. 2017-11-18 Suriname Marathon: 4:17:10
20. 2018-01-21 Trinidad & Tobago Marathon: 4:15:42
21. 2018-04-08 Paris Marathon: 3:54:17
22. 2018-04-15 Bonn Marathon: 3:47:30
23. 2018-04-22 Antwerp Marathon: 3:54:45
24. 2018-06-03 Rhein-Ruhr Marathon: 3:37:31 (my barefoot PR)
25. 2018-06-10 Comrades Marathon (90.2 km): 11:13:04
26. 2018-08-11 10th Gay Games Marathon: 5:07:40
27. 2018-08-18 Azeri Marathon: 3:56:10
28. 2018-08-20 Capital City Marathon: 4:10:28
29. 2018-09-09 Vilnius Marathon: 3:54:42
30. 2018-09-16 Seine-Marathon 76: 3:54:42
31. 2018-09-23 Marathon de Montréal: 3:37:42
32. 2018-09-30 Chisinau Marathon: 3:40:15
33. 2018-10-07 Lyon Marathon: 4:39:49
34. 2018-10-14 Metz Marathon: 4:37:27
35. 2018-10-21 Toulouse Marathon: 4:22:30
36. 2018-10-28 Rennes Marathon: 3:56:31
37. 2018-11-04 Nice-Cannes Marathon: 4:18:55
38. 2018-11-11 Istanbul Marathon: 3:57:36
39. 2018-11-18 Bangkok Marathon: 4:23:49
40. 2018-11-25 Panama Marathon: 4:28:18
41. 2018-12-02 Costa Rica Marathon: 4:11:52
42. 2018-12-09 Malaga Marathon: 3:57:48
43. 2018-12-16 Pisa Marathon: 3:44:02
44. 2019-01-11: Doha Marathon: 3:52:02
45. 2019-01-25: Dubai Marathon, UAE: 3:58:48
46. 2019-02-17: Seville Marathon, Spain: 4:10:21
47. 2019-02-24: Seychelles Marathon: 5:18:28
48. 2019-03-09: Costa Magica Marathon, Caribbean Sea: 5:13:45
49. 2019-03-24: Marseille Marathon, France: 4:31:57
50. 2019-04-07: Bratislava Marathon, Slovakia: 3:55:19
51. 2019-04-14: Paris Marathon, France: 4:07:03
52. 2019-04-28: Nantes Marathon, France: 4:31:50
53. 2019-05-05: Prague Marathon, Czechia: 4:23:06
54. 2019-05-12: Loire Marathon, France: 5:03:54
55. 2019-05-19: Lima Marathon, Peru: 4:37:36
56. 2019-06-16: Liberty Marathon, France: 4:49:27
57. 2019-08-25: Asuncion Marathon, Paraguay: 3:53:05
58. 2019-09-08: Koblenz Marathon, Germany: 4:32:12
59. 2019-09-22: Buenos Aires Marathon, Argentina: 4:30:46
60. 2019-09-29: Budapest Marathon, Hungary: 4:15:33
61. 2019-10-06: Brussels Marathon, Belgium: 4:46:29
62. 2019-10-13: Chicago Marathon, USA: 3:57:23
63. 2019-10-20: Auckland Marathon, New Zealand: 4:28:52
64. 2019-10-27: Lausanne Marathon, Switzerland: 4:22:26
65. 2019-11-03: New York Marathon, USA: 4:40:13
66. 2019-12-01: Valencia Marathon, Spain: 4:32:58
67. 2019-12-08: Reggae Marathon, Jamaica: 4:54:52
68. 2019-12-15: Malaga Marathon, Spain: 4:16:53
69. 2020.01.21 Muscat Lonely Marathon, Oman: 5:19:28
70. 2020.02.09 Miami Marathon, USA: 4:24:10
71. 2020.03.01 Malta Marathon, Malta:3:58:10
72. 2020.03.08 Los Angeles Marathon, USA: 4:25:46
73. 2020.03.15 Little Barcelona Marathon, France: 5:02:08
74.2020.04.20 Freedom Boston Marathon, France: 14:53:00
75. 2020.06.18 Liberation Marathon # 17, France: 4:45:06
76. 2020.06.26 Liberation Marathon # 20, France: 4:39:37
77. 2020.07.04 Liberation Marathon # 24, France: 5:25:44
78. 2020.07.16 Liberation Marathon # 28, France: 4:38:54
79. 2020.07.19 Liberation Marathon # 29, France: 4:27:30
80. 2020.07.22 Liberation Marathon # 30, France: 4:24:46
81. 2020.07.26 Liberation Marathon # 31, France: 4:44:01
82. 2020.08.02 Liberation Marathon # 33, France: 4:22:53
83. 2020.08.17 Liberation Marathon # 37, France: 4:40:33
84. 2020.08.20 Liberation Marathon # 38, France: 4:54:02
85. 2020.08.23 Liberation Marathon # 39, France: 4:52:42
86. 2020.09.02 Liberation Marathon # 42, France: 5:11:56
87. 2020.09:05 Liberation Marathon # 43, France: 4:55:13
88. 2020.09.22 Liberation Marathon # 49, France: 4:49:29
89. 2020.10.23 Liberation Marathon # 57, France: 4:40:33
90. 2021.02:24 Absurdistan Marathon # 12, Absurdistan: 5:15:40
91. 2021.03:24 Absurdistan Marathon # 13, Absurdistan: 4:56:50
92. 2021.08.10 Absurdistan Marathon # 18, Absurdistan: 5:55:16
93. 2021.08.20 Absurdistan Marathon # 21, Absurdistan: 5:38:27
94. 2021.09.15 Vienna Marathon, Austria: 4:24:53
95. 2021.09.19 Rome Marathon, Italy: 4:30:48
96. 2021.09.26 Berlin Marathon, Germany: 4:09:38
97. 2021.10.03 London Marathon, UK: 4:25:24
98. 2021.10.10 Sofia Marathon, Bulgaria: 4:03:10
99. 2021.10.17 Paris Marathon, France: 4:19:06
100. 2021.10.24 Ljubljana Marathon, Slovenia: 4:25:16
101. 2021.10.31 Bucharest Marathon, Romania: 4:07:40
102. 2021.11.07 Podgorica Marathon, Montenegro: 4:09:18
103. 2021.11.14 Athens Marathon, Greece: 4:38:08
104. 2021.11.18 Absurdistan Marathon # 23, Absurdistan: 4:43:36
105. 2021.11.28 Mexico City Marathon, Mexico: 4:58:20
106. My 67th Birthday Barefoot Marathon, France: 5:33:14
107. 2022.04.18 Boston Marathon, USA: 4:56:17
108. 2022.05.08 Barcelona Marathon, Spain: 4:40:05
109. 2022.05.21 Royan Marathon, France: 4:12:47
110. 2022.05.29 Edinburgh Marathon, Scotland: 5:14:17
111. 2022.06.04 Stockholm Marathon, Sweden: 4:26:35
112. 2022.06.19 Rio de Janeiro Marathon, Brazil: 4:16:34
113.2022.07.06 Panama Paradise Marathon # 1: 6:03:33
114.2022.07.11 Panama Paradise Marathon # 2: 5:50:44
115.2022.08.03 Panama Paradise Marathon # 4: 6:25:22
116. 2022.09:17 Oslo Marathon, Norway: 4:41:32
117. The 2022 Pristina Marathon, Kosovo: 4:25:19
118. The 2022 Skopje Marathon, North Macedonia: 4:13:42
