Please explain some things to me.
When tracing ancestry, how far back do you go?
I assumed that if you go back far enough, you and I would have the same root in
this giant tree.No?
If I line up next to you for a race, do I give a flip about your past beyond your
PR?
John
Jon Entine wrote:
> On 4/23/01 9:46 AM, "alan tobin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > What is interesting is that in both Boston and London an American or Brit
> > was 6th. I do believe Cox would have been top 5 at Boston if it wasn't for
> > the cramp in his side. What does Jon have to say about South African
> > runners?
>
> According to gene studies, such as Cavalli-Sforza's "The History and
> Geograpy of Genes," South African blacks (by and large) trace much of their
> ancestry to East Africa.
>
> >Of course I haven't read your book Jon. I already know what it
> > basically says because you've told us countless times...:) Still doesn't
> > prove that North/East Africans are dominating marathoning.
>
> North and East Africans win approximately 50 percent of the top marathons,
> all drawn from a population base of less than 3 million or so (the areas
> that turn out such runners). Poverty probably cuts into the potential of a
> good percentage of those. If that's not dominance, you've managed to
> redefine the term.
>
> >If that was the
> > case then there would never be a Brit, American, Asian, Russian, ect in the
> > top 10 and the world record would be shot into the stratosphere.
>
> Alan:
>
> You miss the point entirely. This is not genetic determinism. Genes
> proscribe possibility, they don't confer inevitability. A marathon is too
> filled with serendipity to exclude anyone from POSSIBLY doing well. Are
> their tall women in the world? Yes. Are men taller than women? On average,
> yes -- the bell curve distribution for "tallness" is both longer towards
> tallness and fatter -- there are more at each of the longer heights. It's
> exactly the same in running. The Bell Curve distribution at sprinting is
> VERY long and VERY thick for athletes of West African ancestry. It's quite
> long and thick on the endurance end for North and East Africans. The bell
> curve distribution for whites may be longer at both (more body type variance
> in general) but not thicker at either end. At least that's what
> anthropologists believe.
>
> >Americans
> > and Brits once produced a good flow of 2:10 or better marathoners or those
> > capable of a sub 2:10. Running under 2:10 will still win you quite a few
> > international marathons. Add a drop of EPO here and there and we've got a
> > good stream of 2:06's. The 2:10 marathoners of the 80s would most likely run
> > 2:08 or better today simply because that is what it would take to win, so
> > that is how they would train.
> >
> > Alan
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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>
> --
> Jon Entine
> RuffRun
> 6178 Grey Rock Rd.
> Agoura Hills, CA 91301
> (818) 991-9803 [FAX] 991-9804
> http://www.jonentine.com
