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The great Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome in bare feet. Attempts had been made to make him switch to wearing shoes, but when it was discovered that he was actually faster without them, he went back to going barefoot.
The English international runner Ron Hill spent a part of his early career racing barefoot on the roads, track and cross-country (when underfoot conditions were favourable). He used tape on a couple of his toes to prevent wear and tear.
Bruce Tulloh, a contemporary of Ron's, also used to go barefoot I believe.
Then in the 80's there was Zola Budd (Pieterse) whose British Citizenship application was controversially "fast-tracked" through the system in time for her to be able to compete for Great Britain in the 1984 Olympics. She had, as a barefooted teenager, set several world best times on the track, which due to her native South African apartheid laws, were never officially ratified. She went on in subsequent years to win two World Cross-Country titles before eventually marrying and settling back in her homeland.
I have, in the distant past, trained and even raced barefoot; once even running a PB for 3000m on the track without wearing spikes. I really wouldn't like to try it these days. My joints are much less forgiving than they used to be, and it's hard enough staying injury free as it is even pampering my feet with the best cushioned trainers around.
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ONLY THOSE WHO WILL RISK GOING TOO FAR CAN POSSIBLY FIND OUT HOW FAR THEY CAN GO.
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