The dominance of East African endurance runners in world athletics, particularly Kenyans and Ethiopians, holds particular fascination to experts at the University of Glasgow who are set to launch a new research centre with a view to explaining this phenomenon.

Marking the launch of the International Centre for East African Running Science (ICEARS), the University is hosting a symposium on Monday 8 March looking into "The possible causes of the success of East African distance runners." Topics for discussion will include demographics, diet, and genetics in an attempt to explain the consistent top performance of this particular group of elite athletes.

The symposium is privileged to welcome 1972 800m Olympic medallist, Dr Michael Boit of Kenyatta University, who will speak on "The Kenyan Runners: in search of Olympic glory."

"Male East African athletes currently hold the majority of distance running world records, suggesting that genetic endowment has a role in the determination of athletic success," claims Dr Yannis Pitsiladis from the University's Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences (IBLS).

"Proposed explanations have included favourable physiological characteristics, which may include favourable genetic endowment, advantageous environmental conditions, such as being born and raised at a certain altitude, running a long way to school each day, and psychological advantage. This has motivated us to launch this new Research Centre within IBLS to explore the question of 'nature' versus 'nurture'. "

All are welcome to attend.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

For more details please contact Dr Yannis Pitsiladis on extension 0141 330- 3858 or email y.pitsiladis@bio.gla.ac.uk, or the University Press Officer Mike Findlay on 0141 330-8592 or email: m.findlay@admin.gla.ac.uk.

First published: 8 March 2004