Who needs speed?

In "Born to Run," I explore the idea that the reason we gather by the tens of thousands to run 26.2 miles through city streets isn't to survive the experience, but to share it:

The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other, he understood, but to be with each other… That's why the Tarahumara bet like crazy before a ball-race; it makes them equal partners in the effort, letting the runners know they're all in it together. Likewise, the Hopis consider running a form of prayer; they offer...