In the early-1990s, an American wilderness photographer hatched a plan to assemble an All-Tarahumara track team to compete in the new sport of ultrarunning in America. Caballo cautiously agrees to give him some information, which comes in the form of a very long story about one of the only times the Tarahumara left the safety of their home to compete in races in America. Heading into the dangerous Copper Canyons, McDougall crosses paths with drug traffickers, learns about Tarahumara culture, and finally tracks down Caballo Blanco. McDougall was told there was one man who could help him, a mysterious American runner known only as Caballo Blanco, the white horse, who had come to the canyons years earlier to live among the Tarahumara. The article he was in Mexico to write instead turned into one about this near-mythical tribe of serene, reclusive superathletes. On assignment in Mexico two years later, he learned about an indigenous Mexican tribe in the Copper Canyons known as the Tarahumara, who do not suffer such injuries despite being known for their ability to run unheard of distances even into their old age. McDougall begins his book explaining that he has been a runner but recently began dealing with excruciating pain in his foot that is supposedly common to most runners. Tribal members typically refer to themselves as Rarámuri. This study guide reflects the first Vintage Books edition.Ī note on the text: The book (and this guide) frequently refer to the Tarahumara tribe by a name given to them by conquistadors, and there is some dispute as to whether this is appropriate. Born to Run was a national bestseller and winner of a Notable Book Award in 2010. He establishes three primary themes throughout the book: the culture and traditions of the Tarahumara, the evolution of distance running, and the science of running. McDougall is a runner, a former war correspondent for the Associated Press, and has written articles for a number of publications on adventure sports. McDougall was tasked with trekking into the canyons to discover the running and health secrets of the Tarahumara, but he must first find the mysterious American ultrarunner known as Caballo Blanco, who trekked in himself years earlier to live among them. The Tarahumara are renowned for their remarkable injury-free endurance running ability.

The book tells the story of an underground ultramarathon involving the Tarahumara tribe of the Copper Canyons in Northwestern Mexico. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen is a 2009 work of nonfiction by journalist and author Christopher McDougall.

Christopher mcdougall