In 2004, Harvard University evolutionary biologist Dan Lieberman co-authored a paper which posited that modern humans’ long legs, short toes and muscular rear ends-all useful for walking-also evolved two million years ago as an adaptation for running. Slow and Steady Wins the Evolutionary Race

Their research is leading to new insights on what sets the best runners apart and how to help them maximize their abilities-as well as keeping hobbyists healthier throughout the miles. Scientists have been working hard in recent years to unlock clues about what makes these elites so fast. Photographs by Mark McCambridge, NikeĪsked after the race how he plans to shave 25 seconds off his time, Kipchoge said it would take 'good training and good preparation.' At nearly 10,000 feet (three kilometers) in altitude, training here boosts Delisa's ability to run harder in Monza, Italy, which rests only 600 feet above sea level. Lelisa Desisa trains in the Entoto Forest, which affords high-altitude training and magnificent views of the bucolic countryside of the Oromia region of Ethiopia.

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