Unlocking the Secrets of the Kenyan Running Economy
- Coach Hugo
- Apr 6
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 9
Why the World Watches Kenyan Runners
Every Olympic cycle, every World Championship, and every major marathon tells a familiar story: Kenyan runners dominate. From Eliud Kipchoge’s historic sub-two-hour marathon to the unrelenting success of Kenyan athletes in middle- and long-distance races, their presence is not just consistent—it’s legendary.
But what lies behind this dominance? Is it genetics? Altitude? Culture? While all these elements play a role, one often-overlooked but critical component is running economy.
The typical Kenyan running technique is a masterclass in biomechanical efficiency. And apart from the technique, there are other factors that create a superior running economy. These factors are partly a result of genetics, but environment and habits definitely play a role as well.
This article explores the Kenyan running economy and technique in depth—offering unique insight into biomechanics, training environment, cultural context, and expert analyses. Whether you're a coach, an athlete, or a curious observer, this comprehensive guide will reveal why Kenyans run the way they do—and what others can learn from it.
The Determinants of Performance
Science tells us that there are 3 important physiological factors that determine our performance in long distance running:
VO2max: the maximum amount of oxygen our body is able to absorb.
Lactate threshold: the speed at which our body produces as much lactate as it can clear/consume. If we go any faster than this, our lactate starts to accumulate and we slow down.
Running economy (see below)
1.1. Running Economy (RE).
What exactly is running economy? It’s the amount of oxygen our body uses to run at a certain speed. The higher our RE, the less oxygen we need at a given speed. A high RE is a plus for runners.
Imagine two different runners, John and Mary.
John has a high VO2max: 75 ml of oxygen per minute (per kg body weight).
Mary has an average VO2max: 55 ml of oxygen per minute.
When running at 4.00 per km, John consumes 65 ml of oxygen, so he is pretty close to his max.
When running at the same speed of 4.00/km, Mary consumes only 40 ml of oxygen per minute.
In other words; John’s muscles are able to consume lots of oxygen, but his running is less efficient, so he also needs a lot of it. He is like a car with a big engine: it needs a lot of fuel, and drives 10km with one litre of petrol. John has a low running economy. Mary on the other hand, is much more efficient. She is like a car that drives 15km on 1 litre of fuel. So despite her lower VO2max, she might still outperform John, due to her excellent running economy.
The research that has been done with Kenyan runners, comparing them with non-Kenyans, seems to indicate that Kenyans don’t necessarily stand out when it comes to VO2max and lactate threshold, but they do have a superior running economy. In other words; when Kenyan elites run at 20 km/hr, their body needs less oxygen than that of the average non-Kenyan elite runner. In a sport where the use of oxygen is extremely important, this is a huge benefit.
Biomechanics of Kenyan Runners: body type
So how is it possible that Kenyan runners have such a superior running economy? There’s several factors for that. Let’s explore all of them. We start with the body shape and composition.
2.1 Lower Body mass (related to their length)
Having a lower body mass index or BMI is associated with having a higher running economy. Most Kenyan (or more specifically: Kalenjin) runners have a lower BMI, compared with other runners of the same level. Already back in 1995 scientist Bengt Saltin showed that Kalenjin elite runners had a lower BMI than Scandinavian elite runners. In other words: they had a lower fat percentage. Then you might say; why don’t the other runners lose some weight? But it’s not as simple as that. There’s a BMI threshold below which a person is not healthy anymore. Simply said; if you get too thin, whatever you win in terms of being light, you lose double because you’re not healthy anymore and your recovery is compromised. In the case of female athletes, they can lose their periods when they are too light, which has all kinds of negative consequences, such as being at risk for developing stress fractures. Female Kalenjin runners are able to be extremely thin and light, while still being perfectly healthy.
And why do Kalenjin runners have such a low BMI? This most likely has to do with genetics; centuries of growing up in the tropics, and being exposed to the hot sun while grazing cattle over the savannah. However, it does require a healthy diet and a disciplined lifestyle to maintain that low BMI.
2.2 Less mass at the lower leg
One part of the body where it’s particularly advantageous to have less mass (whether it’s muscle or fat), is the lower leg. Science tells us that if we add 1 kg of body mass to our trunk, the energy demand of running increases by 1%, whereas if we add the same 1 kg of mass at the extremities (the calves), it increases the energy demand by a whopping 10%. Kenyan runners have notably long and thin calves, even compared with elite runners of the same level from other nations. This is a huge advantage for them, since it reduces the energy cost of running and improves their running economy.
2.3 Function of the Achilles tendon
When we talk about the lower leg, there’s something we need to mention in particular and that is the Achilles tendon. Our Achilles tendons play an extremely important role during running, since they are masters in storing and releasing of energy. Whereas muscles need oxygen and ATP to create speed, the Achilles tendon simply ‘catches’ energy when we land, and returns that to us during kick-off. Scientists Mooses and Hackney (2017) mention the Achilles tendon moment arm. When this Achilles moment arm is small, meaning there is less flexibility in the ankle joint, it most likely provides for a greater storage and release of elastic energy, which according to them can account for 30-60% of the variance in running economy. Already back in 1964 (Cavagna et al) it was estimated that, without the use of elastic energy, our body needs 30-40% more oxygen when running. The Achilles tendon accounts for the biggest portion of that elastic energy, but there are other tendons that contribute as well (for example in the arch of the foot). The exact percentage of energy that is being contributed/produced by elastic energy probably depends on the speed at which we run.
Kenyan elite runners seem to have a very small Achilles tendon moment arm, which contributes to their superior running economy. The fact that most Kenyan elites used to run to school, often barefoot, most likely also has a massive impact on developing powerful tendons in the foot and ankle.
2.4 Leg length and hip width
The Kalenjin community is known for having relatively long legs (compared with total body length), which is another advantage in running and is directly related to running economy. They also have relatively narrow hips, which is another factor that improves running economy.
Summary
The above reasons (low BMI, less mass at the calves, powerful Achilles, long legs and narrow hips) all come down to body type (body shape, and composition). It’s important to state here that there is nothing uniquely Kenyan about this. There are people with a similar body type all around the world. The main difference is that the prevalence (number of people) with such a perfect-for-running body type is very high among the Kalenjin community in Kenya, whereas the number of people around the world with similar characteristics is very low.
The reason for that is most likely due to genetic factors: it’s a result of having ancestors that for many centuries have been living in the tropics at high altitude, while taking care of cattle and walking or running long distances, which over the centuries created a body type that was well adjusted to the environment.
Running Economy of Kenyan Runners: environment
3.1 Growing Up at Altitude
Most top Kenyan runners hail from the Rift Valley region, particularly the Kalenjin tribes. The area sits where they live and train sits at 2,000–2,600 meters (6,500–8,300 feet) above sea level. Training and living at altitude increases red blood cell count, improving oxygen delivery to muscles. Science has identified living at high altitude – and apart from that; being born at high altitude – as an important factor that improves running economy.
3.2 Active Daily Life
Kenyan children often walk or run long distances to school, often barefoot or in sandals. This creates:
Early musculoskeletal development (getting strong muscles and bones)
Superior biomechanics
A deep aerobic base built from a young age
Kenya Camp coach Collins Kibet (who ran 1.46 in the 800m while studying at the University of Arizona) tells from his own experience:
I ways the last one to leave the house when going to school. I preferred to sleep a little bit longer, and take my time for breakfast. So once I started going, I had to run! If I had decided to walk, I would be late. And being late meant the teacher would cane me. So every day I covered the 3.5km (over 2 miles) to school running. And we didn’t have shoes until we were 11 years old. So we ran barefoot, over the grass, the hills and the dirt roads to school. Sometimes you had to jump over a fence, and you didn’t want your feet to get cut by the barbed wire, so you had to make sure you jumped high enough. And during lunch time, we ran back home again, had some food and then ran back to school. It was only after 4 pm, when school closed, that we would walk home. But then once we got home, often mum would send us for chores, like bringing some sugar from the centre, which meant running another 6km. In the weekends we often went hunting with a group of boys. Whereas the girls would stay home and collect water at the river, or fire wood, we wanted to bring home some meat. So we would try to catch rabbits. We used dogs to find and chase the rabbits and we ran after them until they got exhausted. This way, we could easily cover 40km in a weekend. And all of that was barefoot.
The benefits of this extremely active lifestyle are multifaceted.
First of all, it helps to create a strong and robust body. The feet aren’t cushioned in shoes, but instead, all the tiny tendons and muscles in the feet are put to work. Years and years of having such an active lifestyle, make for a body than can handle a very high load. This is why, when many Kenyans start officially training at the age of 18 years, they are almost immediately ready to handle 100 km of running per week, and within 2-3 years they can increase that to 160km (100 miles). The average non-Kenyan runner takes 10 years for that process, by gradually increasing the training load and doing strength training to make for a strong and robust body.
Apart from that, it also creates an enormous aerobic base. The research into running economy is very clear; it’s not just about the biomechanics (your running form), but also about what happens inside your muscles: running lots of miles creates a very high mitochondrial density. In other words; the more you run, the more mitochondria your body produces. And having more mitochondria, in different parts of the muscles, makes the whole oxygen transport system of our body more efficient. We can use less oxygen at the same speed, because our body is more efficient (due to the number of mitochondria). In other words; running more miles improves our running economy.
3.3 Barefoot running
But the benefits go beyond physiology. Running barefoot in a natural environment (on gravel roads, through trails and hills, often combined with jumping over obstacles) also helps to create a bouncy, active running form. Try to run barefoot; it’s impossible to have a heel strike. Running with a heel strike is too uncomfortable without cushioned shoes.
Unlike many Western runners, who often heel-strike due to cushioned footwear and sedentary habits, most Kenyan elite runners grew up barefoot, which meant they trained all the tiny tendons and muscles in their legs and feet from a young age. They use a midfoot to forefoot strike, allowing for a reduced ground contact time, and superior use of the Achilles tendon (which uses ‘free’ elastic energy - as mentioned before). Even though later in life they run with cushioned running shoes, their entire lower legs, and especially the calves and Achilles tendons are made strong and powerful because of years of barefoot running. Because of their active childhood, Kenyan elites tend to have a relatively short contact time (the time the foot touches the ground while running), which also improves running economy.
Is it all “Natural Talent”?
Many attribute Kenyan successes solely to genetics. However, as we described above, while body composition plays an important role, the full picture is more nuanced.
4.1 Genetics vs. Epigenetics
Modern research leans toward epigenetics—how the environment influences gene expression. The Kenyan success story is most likely not just about genes, but about the interaction between biology, environment, and culture. One can be born with relatively long legs and thin calves, but maintaining a low BMI comes down to a disciplinary and healthy lifestyle, while creating strong feet and powerful Achilles tendons (that are excellent in storing and releasing elastic energy), comes down to years and years of running barefoot on challenging terrains.
Lessons for the Rest of the World
To be honest, there's still a lot we don't know about running economy. But there are also some things clear from years of scientific research. If you're an amateur or aspiring elite runner, here’s what you can learn from the Kenyans and what you can do to improve your running economy:
Work on strength. Create a strong base by doing regular strength training to develop a robust body that can handle a high weekly mileage. You may not be able to walk to a nearby river to collect water in a 20 litre water bottle, and carry this back home, but you can hit the gym twice a week. Focus on heavy-weight training (less reps), and explosive strength training (medium heavy weights, lifted with speed).
Run a lot of miles: The more easy mileage you can do, the more mitochondria your body makes, the better your running economy. Kenyans run 100 – 150m per week at an easy pace.
Run at race pace: Your running economy is also pace-specific. If you're a marathon runner aiming for a pace of 5.00 per km, don't run too much at 4.00/km in the specific marathon phase of training, but focus on doing workouts at 5.20 - 4.40/km (around race pace). You should definitely do lots of easy running as well, and you can also occasionally run much faster than marathon pace, but most workouts should be close to race pace, to maximize your race specific running economy.
Introduce plyometric exercises. These help to teach your body to use, store and release elastic energy. Something Kenyan elite runners have mastered from a young age. Plyometric exercises include things like box jumps, hopping, rope jumping.
Focus on Form: Get a coach to teach you some drills and exercises that help you reduce overstriding, and that teach your body to have a short contact time (partly this can be done with plyometric exercises as well).
Train at high altitude: Altitude works. It improves running economy, which is why almost all elites spend a large part of the year living and training at high altitude. Training in Iten, Kenya (the perfect altitude), surrounded by Kenyan elite runners and being able to watch in the kitchen of Kenyan athletics is now possible for runners of all levels, thanks to running camps such as Kenya Camp.
Run Hills: Build power and improve your mechanics by including hill running. The mechanisms behind this are not very clear, but training in the hills seems to have a positive impact on RE.
When coaching young runners: Encourage barefoot playing and different types of movements, in a natural environment, preferably without the pressure to perform. Enable them to play rather than train, while challenging them in various ways to run and jump over obstacles.
The Art and Science of Kenyan Running
We’ve explained what makes Kenyans have such a superior running economy. Part of that is explained by genes, such as having relatively long legs and very thin calves. This is something you have to be born with. You either have it or you don’t. But other aspects can be copied by runners of all levels from around the world, to help them become the best version of themselves. Running camps in Iten, such as Kenya Camp, incorporate all of this in their program; running the miles, doing strength training and doing drills to improve running form, all mixed up with masterclasses, seminars, meetings and cultural experiences.
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