Marathon Movie

Spirit of the Marathon

a kate west recommendation

A range of racing experiences, from the amateur to the elite, every emotion is covered in "Spirit of the Marathon". One veteran marathoner said he doesn’t feel a runner’s high until the run is actually over and then mentioned that by the time he gets to the start line (which can take a good 20 minutes) and actually starts running a few miles, the elite runners have finished, gotten their medals, driven home, showered and turned on their TIVO. Who are these superhuman finish-in-a-mere-two-hours running gods? Thank God we are able to follow normal mortals, with reasonable marathoning expectations. The encore presentation was sold out, the theater packed, with everyone cheering and crying by the end. What is it about watching someone cross a finish line that speaks to the soul?

After this fantastic cinematic experience (and an unforgettable and inspirational score by Jeff Beal), you will realize that it really is a mental challenge. At some point the human body just can’t physically go beyond a certain mileage and since the Marathon goes beyond that, what gets you through it is the mental training. You are your own competition, battling common sense and the laws of physics. Yes, it should be fun, but it isn’t always. It’s a triumph of will and the very real ability to make your own motivational personal movie in your head. So maybe it’s not something you want to do, but something you have to do. There is nothing else on earth that challenges the common individual this way. You can't wait to see if you can accomplish it.

It's all in the title. It is the spirit and will of the everyman. If the goal is merely to finish, then anyone can be trained to run a marathon, as opposed to say, crazy triathlons with ridiculous mileage. It is something attainable and still tantalizingly impossible. Professionals mixing with the non-athletic. Explains why there are hundreds of thousands of people registering for every marathon.

Encore showing in February!

http://www.marathonmovie.com/











And of course what happens after ....