by simon
Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2012 12:26 AM
Generally speaking, Kenyans lean farther forward (something you can do without falling over if you have a short torso and long legs), slide their skulls forward on their atlas vertebrae, and use more rotation in the thorax.
Ethiopians retract their heads somewhat, run a little more upright with the chest almost pushed forward, and use less rotation (a necessity because retracting the head stiffens the spine so it can't rotate as much).
The Kenyan style is a bit more economical, the Ethiopian a bit more powerful, so when they race they are using somewhat different strategies.