A friend has put me on to a couple of New Scientist articles (here and here) that together suggest both that humans have evolved several characteristics that allow humans to run long distances, an ability that separates us from other primates, and that this ability gave early humans and their predecessors an evolutionary boost.
The characteristics mentioned include muscles, highly developed in humans that are not required for walking alone. As well as large joints to distribute force and new research suggesting that we have duplicate copies of gene that means we are able better able to produce energy from fat during prolonged exercise.
The evolutionary boost apparently comes from being able to cover greater distances to find food, potentially beating quicker animals across the savannah by going slower for longer.
There you have it an answer to all the people who say that running is bad for you, we were built (trying hard not to use the word designed) for it.
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