The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Ethiopian legend Abele Bikila won the marathon at the 17th Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, on September 10, 1960 making the achievement even more impressive by running barefoot, and setting a world record time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds. He was the first Sub-Saharan African to win an Olympic gold medal.

An audience is not a market

A jubilant Abele Bikila is hoisted shoulder high by an exultant (Italian) crowd. It happened in Rome, Italy on September 10, 1960. Photo: Mondadori via Getty Images.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Abele Bikila crossing the finish line of the marathon at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, which he run (and won) barefoot, setting a world record time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds. He was the first Sub-Saharan African to win an Olympic gold medal. After the race, when Bikila was asked why he had run barefoot, he replied: “I wanted the world to know that my country, Ethiopia, has always won with determination and heroism”. Photo: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images.