If you’ve clicked on this post, chances are you’re looking for inspiration from athletes for a peculiar issue: flatfeet. Also known as pes planus, this condition results from a non-existent medial arch of the foot, leading to a complete faceplant of the foot’s sole into the ground.

We’ve written a whole article on why people with flatfeet would and should perform lesser than their normal-footed adversaries. Despite that, multiple individuals made it to the winner’s podium just fine.

Whether it be to adopt their training regimen into your own, or to take inspiration from their success, our list will definitely prove to be useful.

These three athletes are: Usain Bolt, Said Aouita, and Alan Webb. We’ve double-checked their biographies, and these three definitely had flat feet and pulled through.

These athletes undoubtedly earned their success, and whether their achievements are because of or in spite of their foot deformity is up for you to decide.

1. Usain Bolt

Regarded as the best sprinter of all time, Usain Bolt is an inspiration to all aspiring runners. He has three currently unbeatable world records: the 100 meters and 200 meters sprints, and also the 4 x 100 meters relay.

In short, Bolt is a legend when it comes to short distance running.

Even though “Lightning Bolt” has flatfeet, and that did not stop him from achieving these incredible feats at all. In fact, he not only has flatfeet, but also bunions and scoliosis.

Have a look at the picture below, which is him with his signature pose during the 2013 London Anniversary Games. As you can see, the medial arches of his feet are flattened. Also, his big toe deviates outwards quite noticeably even from a zoomed-out shot.

The thing is, being good at short distance running requires the feet to be able to produce explosive bursts of force to propel the body forwards. As highlighted in our article of the disadvantages of flatfeet in running, the foot’s arch and the plantar fascia work together as a bow and string respectively to create a spring.

Just as how a bow can shoot an arrow with high velocity, the feet use this mechanism to spring the body away from the ground. This is what generates the explosive burst of force to be used in short distance running like the 100 meters or 200 meters sprint.

However, with flatfeet, how does Usain Bolt reach those speeds?

A great teacher

It’s no question that a great athlete would have an exceptional coach behind his back. Glen Mills who is Bolt’s coach, trains him for 1.5 hours per session, 3 times a week.

One would imagine that the greatest runner alive would at least train more than half of the week, but that is not the case. This goes to show that his coach has a well-packed and efficient training program for him.

In describing Usain Bolt’s special qualities, Glen Mills said, and I quote:

“He has the ability to focus almost instantly. He does not (have) difficulty in understanding and assimilating the coach’s instructions, and he learns very fast”

This goes to show that just having a good coach is not enough. You have to be dedicated and disciplined enough to follow each and every instruction that your coach gives along your training.

Custom footwear

It’s no question that footwear is a crucial component of running. Unless you want to run barefoot, you would want to invest the best shoes possible. Plus, it’s not exactly comfortable to walk, let alone run in poorly designed shoes.

It’s easy to just grab the same exact pair of shoes worn by an athlete like Usain Bolt, but that’s actually not the ideal choice.

Everyone has their own unique anatomy and gait preference, so to just copy and paste another person’s shoes as your own is a bad idea.

Bolt’s shoes served him well not because of a particular brand or expensive price, but because they’re custom-made just for his feet.

For example, here are Bolt’s shoes that he used during the 2017 World Championships in London.

There are a few things to notice here. Firstly, there’s a well-defined arch on the inner side of the shoes. Just from a rough observation, it looks like a high-arched shoe.

This arch will provide support for Bolt’s flatfeet and prevent injuries that are higher risk in flatfooted people such as a metatarsal stress fracture.

However, a high arch is not necessarily the best option for every person with flatfoot, because not all flatfeet are equal. For example, Bolt uses a high arch shoe instead of a low arch because he probably has flexible flatfeet, and not the rigid type.

Secondly, we can notice that the soles of the shoe are not that thick. I mean, when we compare Bolt’s shoes to the typical sports shoes on the market, they’re significantly thinner.

This is because the feet need a good amount of contact with the ground to send signals to the brain on how to adjust our posture. If the shoes are too thick and soft, it would be difficult for the receptors on your foot to send signals to your brain, causing an unstable balance.

In conclusion, you should get a well-tailored shoe for your feet to enhance your performance despite having flatfoot. If you can’t afford one, then at least replace the insoles of your shoes with an orthotic insole.

Bolt’s notable achievements

Here is a list of Usain Bolt of Jamaica’s notable achievements during his career.

• He ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds in 2009 Berlin and set a world record that is unbreakable until now.
• Track & Field Athlete News athlete of the year for two years: 2008 and 2009.
• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for four separate years: 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2017.
• Marca Leyenda, an award given by Spanish sports newspaper Marca. Currently, only 80 people in history have had this title since 1997.

2. Said Aouita

Said Aouita is not as well-known nowadays compared to Usain Bolt, but he is just as much of a legend as Bolt was, during the 80’s. This Moroccan-born track and field athlete specializes in middle distance running, unlike Bolt who excelled in short distance running.

Being a Muslim and in a Muslim country, he was awarded in the year 2000 as the Best Arab Athlete of the Century by Al Jazeera TV.

Moreover, Aouita is the only running athlete in history to have won medals for the 800 meters and 1500 meters in the Olympics.

In an interview from 1985 published by The New York Times, at a time where online publications were not even a thing yet, Aouita confessed to having flatfeet. In the interview, he said, and I quote:

“My only problem is that I have flat feet, which promotes tendinitis.”

In another interview by Track & Field News, he does not shy away from admitting to having leg pain in the closing stages of the events that he participated in.

Despite all this, he still came out as one of the greatest runners in middle distance running history.

Resilience

It’s clear that Aouita, like other athletes, is not perfect and has his ups and downs.

One such down is that he had pain in his legs during much of his runs especially during the last 500 meters of his 1500 meters run in 1985 Berlin.

It’s surprising that even though he suffered much during that run, he still managed to bring forth a record-breaking time of 3:29.46, which remained unbreakable for over 7 years.

Another example of Aouita’s unbreakable spirit was when he attempted to race in the 800 meters and 1500 meters race in the 1988 Summer Olympics, despite not fully recovered from hamstring injury.

This goes to show that every athlete has their fair share of sufferings, but they still pull through. If you have flat feet and suffer from leg pain and past injuries, you should take inspiration from Aouita’s resilience, and never give up.

Even so, I would not recommend running with an injury. Maybe that’s just Aouita’s way of showing the world that his spirit is unmatched.

independence

To become a great track and field athlete, it’s a no brainer that a coach is necessary. I mean, look at Bolt’s complete loyalty to his coach, Glen Mills.

However, Said Aouita is a completely different story. When the Track & Field News interviewer asked him if it was true that he “coached himself”, Aouita responded:

Yes, I’ve never had a coach. But I also never let myself be influenced or guided by the methods of other athletes. Jamais (Never).

Said Aouita is infamous for refusing to have a coach. He values having complete independence and control over his training regime, and this may be a clue to how he became so good.

This is not exactly the one shoe fits all approach, but certain people do excel when given complete autonomy in their own field of interest.

Aouita also kept his training secret. Even when other athletes inquire about his training, he would always recommend that everyone should decide what training is best for them.

Whether he had a specialized method for flatfeet training or not, we might never know.

support from others

Aouita was born in Kenitra, a Moroccan city. Being in a Muslim community, he is always surrounded by people who support him. For example, he expressed his gratefulness to his fellow Moroccans during the Track & Field News interview.

“The people have been very kind to me, particularly His Majesty King Hassan II. He has helped me and Nawal El Moutawakel a great deal, assuring us a comfortable life and providing the best conditions possible for our training and preparations for competitions. He protects us and loves us as if we were his own children. He never ceases to encourage us.”

Aouita not only gained support from his family and the people of Morocco, but also from the King of Morocco himself.

It’s no question that this level of support would influence his success by giving him confidence and the resources he needed.

According to an interview by World Athletics, Aouita is currently coaching athletes in Australia, and he is far from leaving the athletic world behind. Maybe this is his way to give back to the sports world what it gave him.

Aouita’s notable achievements

Here is a list of Said Auita of Morocco’s notable achievements during his career.

• He ran 1500 meters in 3 minutes and 29.46 seconds in 1985 Berlin and set a world record that was unbreakable for 7 years.
• He ran 5000 meters in 12 minutes and 58.39 seconds in 1987 Rome and set the world record for 6 years.
• Track & Field News athlete of the year for two years: 1985 and 1987.
• Awarded the Best Arab Athlete of the Century by Al Jazeera TV in 2000.
• Swatch, Swiss watchmaker company a made a watch in honor of him in 1996.

3. Alan Webb

If Bolt is the world’s best short-distance runner, and Aouita is the middle-distance hero of the Arab world, then Alan Webb represents both the middle and long-distance runners.

Actually, Alan Webb transitioned from being a middle-distance runner in track and field to a marathoner. Known as one of America’s greatest mile runners, didn’t run anything farther than 10 000 meters during his early days as an athlete.

In the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, we see a glimpse of Alan Webb’s not-so-smooth-sailing life during the early days of his athletic career. In the book he said, and I quote:

I was a size twelve and flat-footed, and now I’m a nine or ten. As the muscles in my feet got stronger, my arch got higher.

Webb’s a real-life example of reversible flat feet.

special training

Compared to Bolt who rarely speaks about his flat feet and Aouita who prefers to keep his training secret, Webb gave us a glimpse of valuable information about how he pulled through with his flat arches.

In the same book, Born to Run, Webb revealed that he had frequent injuries during high school track and field career.

It was clear to Webb and his high school coach that the reason for his poor performance was that the way he ran was not ideal. But his coach, Scott Raczko, saw potential in him and continued to train Webb, especially his arches.

Webb was instructed to do foot-strengthening drills and special walks bare feet, and he saw his arches rose before his very eyes.

Apparently, bare foot running is a great way to raise your arches. In the case of Webb, he most likely has flexible flat feet which can be corrected with the proper training and exercise.

An Irish physical therapist by the name of Gerard Hartmann is one such advocate of bare foot training. “Barefoot running has been one of my training philosophies for years,” he said in Born to Run.

In fact, he had consulted three legends in track and field: Haile Gebrselassie, Khalid Khannouchi, and Paula Radcliffe.

Everyone’s physiology is different, so Webb’s workouts might not work for you. So, what we should do is find someone to consult and discover the foot-strengthening drills and bare foot training to suit our body.

From miler to marathoner

Webb started his athletic career during high school, in which he broke Jim Ryun’s national sophomore mile record in 1999. Long story short, he then went on to break the American National record for the mile in 2007 Belgium with a record time of 3 minutes 46.91 seconds.

His American National record remained unbeatable for 6 years until Yared Nuguse took over the mantle.

In 2013, Webb announced officially that he’s going to focus on longer distances, according to a Flotrack interview. Apparently, he was disappointed at his 2012 performance, and wanted to do longer distances instead.

In the interview, he said,

“I just want to move up and do some longer stuff and see if I can still play at this game”

Just recently in 2021 he had a go at the Great American River Run Half Marathon in Memphis. This is Webb’s first half marathon and marks his transition from a miler to marathoner, and he made it to 4th place with a time of 1 hour 13 minutes and 14 seconds.

Just from his social media post, we see that this previous American National record holder went through a drastic transformation. From a muscular build to a thinner build, this shows Webb’s dedication to the sport.

We see this level of dedication in actors who drastically reduce or build up their body weight for specific roles in movies. Webb’s no different. If previously he’s a middle-distance celebrity, then now he is a long-distance movie star.

This goes to show that flat feet didn’t slow Webb down. In fact, he’s still going strong by participating in long-distance events. If he could do it, then you should too.

alan webb’s notable achievements

Here is a list of Alan Webb of America’s notable achievements during his career.

• Held the American National record for the mile, with a time of 3 minutes and 46.91 seconds which remained unbeatable for 6 years.
• Track & Field News High School Athlete of The Year in 2001.
• Appeared in the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006.

Conclusion

So, if you’re down about your downed arches, just know that it’s just another obstacle to break down. Some athletes are restricted by their finances, some by family matters, and some by injuries.

The key difference between greatness and mediocrity is that the former comes from relentless effort.

There are numerous things you could do to become a better athlete even though you have flat feet. We made a simplified list, based on the athletes that we just mentioned.

• Get high-quality shoes that meet your foot’s needs.
• Get high-quality orthotics for arch support. We have a whole article on choosing the right orthotic insoles.
• Find a good coach that knows how to deal with flat feet.
• Never give up.
• Get a support system, be it family or friends.
• Do foot-strengthening exercises and consider training with bare feet.
• Specialize in a distance you’re good at.