The Tragic Fate of Abebe Bikila
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
The 1960 Olympic Marathon was a walk in the park for barefoot runner Abebe Bikila. Unfortunately, he made afterwards a decision that took him to a tragic destiny.
The tragic fate of Abebe Bikila, barefoot winner of the 1960 Olympic Marathon, and a 2016 American scientific study are a compelling evidence that humans can and should run barefoot not only to stay fit and healthy and to improve their cognitive abilities, but also to prevent pain, fatigue and injury.
A) The barefoot Olympic Marathon winner switched to running with sneakers.
On September 10, 1960, Abebe Bikila ran barefoot the Olympic Marathon in Rome and won the race, crossing the finish line in a time of 2:15:16 and beating the world record. Wikipedia: “Immediately after crossing the finish line Abebe began to touch his toes and run in place, and later said that he could have run another 10–15 km (6–9 mi).”
Abebe Bikila also won the 1964 Olympic Marathon in Tokyo with a time of 2:12:11, but he did not finish the Zarautz International Marathon in July 1967 because of an injured hamstring. He neither finished the 1968 Olympic Marathon in Mexico: he had to drop out of the race after 16 km (10 mi). What’s more, the injury was so serious that he would never be able to run a marathon again. In other words, his running career ended in Mexico City. Sadly, like him, many shod runners have to stop running because of injuries.
On the night of March 22, 1969, Abebe Bikila lost control of his car, which overturned, trapping him inside for the entire night. He was reportedly driving under influence. He suffered a neck broken, which paralyzed him from the waist down. He had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He died in 1973, at the age of 41, allegedly from a complication of his accident.
As I explain in my book, Running Barefoot for Human Survival, Abebe Bikila’s triumph in Rome is a reminder that the athletes who participated in the Ancient Olympic Games—held in the cradle of Western civilization—ran barefoot, the legendary first marathoner Pheidippides was a professional barefoot runner like all Ancient Greek messengers, and all humans are natural barefoot runners. Find out more on the benefits of barefoot running.
B) Running barefoot increases brain performance
Finally, barefoot running may prove an effective gullibility “terminator,” since researchers at the University of North Florida have confirmed that shoeless running significantly increases our brain performance. The 72 participants in the study ran both barefoot and with shoes, and their working memory was measured before and after each running.
The researchers “found a significant increase in working memory performance in the barefoot-running condition. There was no significant increase in working memory when running with shoes.” “This research shows us that we can realize our cognitive potential and enjoy ourselves at the same time: If we take off our shoes and go for a run, we can finish smarter than when we started,” concluded Dr. Ross Alloway, the lead researcher who designed the experiment.
The 1960 Olympic Marathon was a walk in the park for barefoot runner Abebe Bikila. Unfortunately, he made afterwards a decision that took him to a tragic destiny.
The tragic fate of Abebe Bikila, barefoot winner of the 1960 Olympic Marathon, and a 2016 American scientific study are a compelling evidence that humans can and should run barefoot not only to stay fit and healthy and to improve their cognitive abilities, but also to prevent pain, fatigue and injury.
A) The barefoot Olympic Marathon winner switched to running with sneakers.
On September 10, 1960, Abebe Bikila ran barefoot the Olympic Marathon in Rome and won the race, crossing the finish line in a time of 2:15:16 and beating the world record. Wikipedia: “Immediately after crossing the finish line Abebe began to touch his toes and run in place, and later said that he could have run another 10–15 km (6–9 mi).”
Abebe Bikila also won the 1964 Olympic Marathon in Tokyo with a time of 2:12:11, but he did not finish the Zarautz International Marathon in July 1967 because of an injured hamstring. He neither finished the 1968 Olympic Marathon in Mexico: he had to drop out of the race after 16 km (10 mi). What’s more, the injury was so serious that he would never be able to run a marathon again. In other words, his running career ended in Mexico City. Sadly, like him, many shod runners have to stop running because of injuries.
On the night of March 22, 1969, Abebe Bikila lost control of his car, which overturned, trapping him inside for the entire night. He was reportedly driving under influence. He suffered a neck broken, which paralyzed him from the waist down. He had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He died in 1973, at the age of 41, allegedly from a complication of his accident.
As I explain in my book, Running Barefoot for Human Survival, Abebe Bikila’s triumph in Rome is a reminder that the athletes who participated in the Ancient Olympic Games—held in the cradle of Western civilization—ran barefoot, the legendary first marathoner Pheidippides was a professional barefoot runner like all Ancient Greek messengers, and all humans are natural barefoot runners. Find out more on the benefits of barefoot running.
B) Running barefoot increases brain performance
Finally, barefoot running may prove an effective gullibility “terminator,” since researchers at the University of North Florida have confirmed that shoeless running significantly increases our brain performance. The 72 participants in the study ran both barefoot and with shoes, and their working memory was measured before and after each running.
The researchers “found a significant increase in working memory performance in the barefoot-running condition. There was no significant increase in working memory when running with shoes.” “This research shows us that we can realize our cognitive potential and enjoy ourselves at the same time: If we take off our shoes and go for a run, we can finish smarter than when we started,” concluded Dr. Ross Alloway, the lead researcher who designed the experiment.
Plaque in memory of Abebe Bikila in Rome on a wall on San Gregorio Street
“The 1960 Olympic Marathon was a walk in the park for Abebe Bikila,” The Swiss Television.
Abebe Bikila ran barefoot the 1960 Olympic Marathon in Rome and made history by winning the first Olympic gold medal for an African country.
Abebe Bikila running barefoot the 1960 Olympic Marathon
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's book Running Barefoot for Human Survival
Below is Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo’s interactive global marathons map. It features most of the marathons (orange icons) and ultramarathons (blue icons) Dr. Diallo did on the seven continents. Zoom in to discover all the races, as many icons are overlapping.
La carte interactive des marathons du Dr Sidy Diallo