Sidy Diallo

Sidy Diallo is a medical doctor, barefoot marathon runner, retired French diplomat and author of the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Doctor Diallo also holds a degree from Sciences Po Paris and a postgraduate degree in international law from the University of Paris-Sorbonne. He has completed marathons and ultramarathons on each of the seven continents: Antarctica, Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Dr. Diallo ran his first marathon at 55 in October 2010. In less than 12 years, he completed in 95 countries 18 ultramarathons and over 350 marathons, including 48 marathons on six continents in 2013, a 90 km barefoot ultramarathon (the 2018 Comrades Marathon) and 114 barefoot marathons. He ran barefoot 15 marathons in 14 weeks in 2018. His barefoot marathons include five of the six Marathon Majors: the 2019 Chicago Marathon, the 2019 New York Marathon, the 2021 Berlin Marathon, the 2021 London Marathon and the 2022 Boston Marathon. Impulsive travel bans prevented him three times (in 2020, 2021 and 2022) from running, also barefoot, the Tokyo Marathon. Dr. Diallo has run barefoot on the six continents where we can—and should—walk and run without shoes during all or some seasons of the year, which is not the case in Antarctica. Dr. Diallo switched in 2015 to barefoot running and discovered that, while running prevents chronic diseases, strengthens our immune system and keep us fit and healthy, running with bare feet is the efficient way not only to regain control of our brain and prevent pain and running injuries, but also to become smarter and ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. Dr. Diallo has worked in Africa (Senegal and Burkina Faso), Central America (Nicaragua), North America (Chicago), South America (Suriname), Europe (France) and Oceania (Australia). He speaks Fulani, French, Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese and German. Dr. Diallo keeps learning languages, because that’s the best way to get to know and understand more humans, and friendly connect with them, instead of ignorantly and stupidly hating or despising them. At the end of the day, we should bear in mind that our languages, our cultures, our BMI, our GDP, our melanin density, etc., may be different, but we’re the same people. Have we become Homo stultus or are we still Homo sapiens? —That is the question! Western Europe Marathon Globetrotter Ambassador (2019-2023) Find out more on his website: www.sidy42k.com.