Marathon Comes to Big Screen, But For Only One Night
Posted January 7th, 2008 at 10:07 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Movies
In an unusual arrangement, a full-length feature documentary film on marathon running will be shown in USA theaters, but only for one night: Thursday, January 24.
The film, “Spirit of the Marathon,” presents the stories of six runners who competed in the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, from from first timers to elite runners like Deena Kastor and Daniel Njenga. The film explores how recreational runners use the marathon as a device to confront other issues in their lives –like divorce– and how elite runners are in it for equal amounts of glory and cash.
“The normal person, they want to make their body slim,” Njenga says over shots of him warming up before the race. “But for us, we want to make money. This is like a job and I love my job.”
Filmed on four continents, the two-hour movie chronicles the training of these athletes, interspersed with interviews from well-known marathon runners and experts, like Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Amby Burfoot, Dick Beardsley, Joe Henderson, Roger Robinson, and Kathrine Switzer. Shot in hi-def video, the footage of the Chicago Marathon is both varied and majestic; the producers had a crew of 62 on the scene and used 15 camera operators. There is also a rousing score.
“Spirit of the Marathon” was directed by Jon Dunham, who has completed 21 marathons. He co-produced the film with Gwendolen Twist under the supervision of executive producer, Mark Jonathan Harris, who has made three Academy-Award winning documentary films.
In an interview with Amby Burfoot on RunnersWorld.com, Dunham said it was his goal “to make the definitive film on the marathon.” Judging by the trailer, posted at http://www.marathonmovie.com, Dunham gets the essence of the marathon right: it’s a thrilling as it is exhausting, and fills nearly every finisher with a sense of empowerment.
“When you cross that finish line, no matter how slow or how fast, it will change your life forever,” says Dick Beardsley.
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To find a USA theater near you which is showing “Spirit of the Marathon,” go to http://www.fathomevents.com/details.aspx?eventid=693, then enter your ZIP code in the search box. You can purchase tickets through the links presented by the list of theaters.
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
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Tags: Amby Burfoot, Bill Rodgers, chicago marathon, Daniel Njenga, deena kastor, Dick Beardsley, documentary, Frank Shorter, gwendolen twist, hi def, joe henderson, jon dunham, Kathrine Switzer, lasalle bank chicago marathon, marathon movie, mark jonathan harris, movie, Roger Robinson, theater, usa theatre
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The Final Sprint