Endurance Lessons From the Ancient Runners

Modern runners love their carbon-plated shoes, electrolyte gels, and sports watches that beep every kilometre to tell them what they already know: that their hearts pumping and they’re puffing like a sick horse. But before running became a science experiment, it was just something humans did. And did bloody well.

Take the Greeks. Everyone knows about Pheidippides, the bloke who ran from Marathon to Athens, declared victory, then promptly died. But that’s only part of it. He was actually a hemerodromos – a day-long runner – who’d just run from Athens to Sparta and back before the Marathon gig, covering nearly 500km in a few days. Then there’s the Tarahumara of Mexico, who think nothing of running 300km through mountains wearing homemade sandals. Or Aboriginal Australians, who ran vast distances barefoot to carry messages across harsh country, no gels, no Brooks Ghosts, and certainly no foam rollers waiting at camp.

So how did they do it? First, they didn’t treat running like a workout. It was life. They ran daily, covering miles at a conversational pace, not worrying about lactic thresholds or VO2 max. Their feet were strong because they weren’t wrapped in thick shoes since toddlerhood. Their diets were unprocessed, meaning they didn’t bonk after 12km because they weren’t mainlining white bread and chocolate milkshakes. Fat adaptation wasn’t a biohacking trend; it was simply how their bodies functioned to keep them alive.

They also ran with efficient form. Look at the Tarahumara – upright posture, short steps, quick turnover. No overstriding like your average city fun-runner who tears their ITB to shreds every six months. And their mental game was stronger than pre-workout caffeine. Running wasn’t punishment or personal best hunting. It was duty, connection, spirituality. They didn’t waste energy thinking “I hate this.” They just ran.

What can we take from this? For starters, ditch the idea that more gear equals better performance. You don’t need $350 shoes to get faster. You need consistency. Maybe ease into minimalist running – don’t ditch your shoes tomorrow unless you want a stress fracture – but start strengthening your feet. Walk barefoot around the house. Do calf raises. Build the foundations.

Eat real food occasionally on long runs. Potatoes, dates, even rice balls – they’ve fuelled runners for centuries. And run more often at an easy pace. The ancient runners didn’t smash interval sessions five days a week. They moved daily, with intensity sprinkled in when it counted.

Finally, harden up a bit. Running is uncomfortable. Ancient runners didn’t have ice baths and Theraguns. They embraced the grind because it was part of life. You can too.

So next time you’re slogging through a long run, don’t think about your splits or the Garmin stats. Think about those before you, who ran for survival, for honour, for connection – and realise you’re part of that lineage. Endurance isn’t something you buy. It’s something you build. One honest, uncomfortable, utterly human step at a time.

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