How nature is the performance enhancer for Ethiopian runners

Jun 2, 2026 · 19m

There are many ways to attain endurance and high performance. The ethos of Ethiopian collective running contrasts sharply with the testosterone supplements, and focus on the individual, in last week's Endurance Games. Guest: Michael Crawley, social anthropologist at Durham University, UK. Marathon runner. Co-author, with Geoff Burns, of an article titled The Ethiopian Running Secret, in Aeon Magazine (April 2026), author of ‘Out of thin air: running wisdom and magic from above the clouds in Ethiopia’ (Bloomsbury, 2021) and To the Limit: The Meaning of Endurance from Mexico to the Himalayas (2024) Producer: Ann Arnold

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