The Incredible Raramuri Runners

Mexico is a country of many different indigenous people and while Spanish is the main language spoken, there are actually more than 60 other official languages in the country. There are many small groups in addition to the Aztec and Maya people, that have influenced the culture in the Mesoamerican region, aside from those two well known peoples. The Tarahumara, or Raramuri people, live in Chihuahua state, in the Copper Canyon region, and are now very famous for their ability to run for miles and miles.

Historically, the Raramuri lived in relative seclusion in comparison to the more widespread indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica. Spanish mines had been established in Chihuahua by the 17th century, and many of the people were rounded up to work in them. The Tarahumara also dealt with multiple Jesuit missionaries during the colonization of Mexico, and in 1648 the tribe officially declared war on their colonizers. A small group splintered off as a result of this conflict, winning back much of the land where the missions were based and reclaiming it as their own.

Today it is estimated that there are between 35,000 and 70,000 Raramuri living in Chihuahua, many of whom exist in a very traditional lifestyle, migrating from the cool high mountains in the Copper Canyon to the lower valleys as the seasons change. They hold fast to their indigenous beliefs and Uto-Aztecan language, but they also have incorporated some Catholicism into their belief system. Religious rituals by the Tarahumara are frequently centered around the use of peyote, and a corn-brewed alcoholic drink that they create in clay jars.

Some Raramuri have the seemingly unique ability to run up to 120 miles continuously, without stopping from fatigue, and while having no lasting impact on their health. The culture's name for themselves means 'runners on foot', and they can travel over extremely rough canyon ground while barefoot. Relay competitions are often popular, and the Tarahumara men will race in relay-style drills where they also kick wooden balls along the ground; sometimes the shows can go on for a few days without stopping, while at other times they only last a few hours.

American writer Christopher McDougall published a book in 2009 entitled 'Born to Run', in which he chronicles his efforts to find and interview the Raramuri. As a runner who'd been laid up by multiple injuries, he sought to expose the reason why the tribe could travel such incredible distances at quick speeds without succumbing to any harm. His conclusion pointed to failings in the design of modern running shoes, and eschewed them in favor of the thin sandals, or huaraches, worn by the Tarahumara.

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