Cuzco To Quito In Five Days On Foot

[vetuste_ennemi]

Watching a BBC4 recording I took some while ago about the Inca Empire, and just got the extraordinary claim by the historian presenting the program that the Incas could get a message from one city to the other in just that time. The distance is over 1,500 km. With only "runners" to carry the messages then they've got to do the equivalent of seven or eight marathons each day, isn't it? Just about achievable at Olympic medal-winning pace?

Anybody know about the Incan civilisation and would care to comment?

[10ClarionSt]

Not really, but there was a documentary about Central America recently that showed a remote tribe in present-day Mexico who run everywhere through desert and mountainous terrain - in barefeet. The times and distances covered were much quicker than Olympic marathon runners. Sorry, can't remember the programme or provide a link. Maybe that tribe are the last of those in the Americas that used to do that?

[vetuste_ennemi]

Thanks, ClarionSt. Yes, they'd have to have well organised relay stations (no problem for the Incas), but the guys would have to be very fast to get through 200 miles plus a day.

[10ClarionSt]

I seem to recall that one runner could cover 500 miles in three days. Wish I could remember the prog or find a link. Sorry.

[jno]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasqui

[Mamyalynne]

10C - possibly about...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rar%C3%A1muri

[Buenchico]

Apparently the way to do it was to use a LOT of runners, based at a LOT of relay stations along the route.

This site says that the runners could cover about 250 miles per day between them (and needed good memories!):
http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/03/20/inca-communication-mailmen-inca-empire-fast-roadrunners/

As each runner only covered a mile or two, with the next runner then taking over without any delay, maintaining a speed of roughly 10 mph throughout the day and night could well have been possible.

[10ClarionSt]

Thanks jno. Those are they! Good work. Take the rest of the week off!

[jno]

yes, think I'll go for a little run...

[10ClarionSt]

...unlike me. Who won't!

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Apparently the way to do it was to use a LOT of runners, based at a LOT of relay stations along the route//

Yup, got it. An obvious point now you've made it, Buenchico: you need lots of Moorcrofts rather than a few Farah's. All the extra relay stations massively increases the cost, of course.

[vetuste_ennemi]

The Jno link (for which thanks) is fascinating. Do remember something about the knotted strings.

[Khandro]

African talking drums were much faster than that.

[Khandro]

Carrier pigeons were better still and used as long ago as Roman times , but I don't know if they existed then in South America