People have been putting one foot in front of the other since the beginning of time, but when did they start to pick up a little speed? I imagine the cavemen were the first runners as they tracked their prey far distances and over long periods of time which would make running a necessity. As the population grew, people started settling in their own communities. These small communities were often separated by great distances but began to start interacting with each other through trade. The only mode of transportation was walking, so if you wanted to trade goods faster, you ran.
Not until the Greeks and Romans did people start running for exercise. These countries’ Armys started running to get their soldiers in shape f0r war. This technique is still used by the military today. In fact, a great deal of the perception of a leader’s effectiveness is attributed to how well they can run; which worked out well for me while in service. However, I think this perception is derived because running is directly related to mental toughness. Again people began to exercise in Medieval Europe. Suddenly an individual’s physical fitness became very important. People starting lifting weights in order to build strength and running to build their stamina.
The first evidence of Trail Running came around 3800 BC when the Egyptians would run long distances to other towns without any roads, blazing a trail as they ran. In the early 19th century the sports of “paper chasing” or “hare and hounds” appeared which later evolved into what we know today as cross-country running. In 1995 the British Athletic Federation approved a formal definition for trail running events. Thanks for the approval Britian, but we haven’t needed it since July 4th, 1776.
And here is where evolution has taken us. From running long distances to chase a saber-toothed tiger to posting information on races, trail runs, training plans, and shoe reviews, on a global network available to anyone. You’d think with all this connectedness we would have stopped running by now. Not a chance.
Tags: history of running, trail running
Thought you might talk about Phidippades on this one. the first marthoner.