Sources : Youtube and Wikipedia dated 13 May 2014
I find this a good personal reflection, reminding myself why I wake up so early in the wee hours to run a good 42.195km.
This is a MUST watch for those who are running or intending to run a marathon.
This movie features elites and commoners trying to either complete or compete in a marathon race.
Synopsis (from Wikipedia)
In the beginning of the film, a brief overview of the history of the marathon is shown, with footage of dramatic races involving Dorando Pietri, Abebe Bikila and Rod Dixon. Notable marathoners such as Frank Shorter, Dick Beardsley,Alberto Salazar, Grete Waitz, Paula Radcliffe, Joan Benoit-Samuelson, and Kathrine Switzer provide commentary about the sport.
The focus is then on the six featured runners and their training for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. American Deena Kastor and Kenyan Daniel Njenga are both elite runners, and are determined to win the race. Kastor was the bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympic Marathon, but has yet to win a marathon. Njenga had finished second multiple times in previous Chicago Marathons. Kastor is shown training and recovering from an injury in Mammoth Lakes, California, while Njenga's life as a sponsored runner in Tokyo is profiled.
The focus is then on the six featured runners and their training for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. American Deena Kastor and Kenyan Daniel Njenga are both elite runners, and are determined to win the race. Kastor was the bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympic Marathon, but has yet to win a marathon. Njenga had finished second multiple times in previous Chicago Marathons. Kastor is shown training and recovering from an injury in Mammoth Lakes, California, while Njenga's life as a sponsored runner in Tokyo is profiled.
The rest of the runners featured live in Chicago. Ryan Bradley and Lori O'Connor are both married young professionals; Bradley is a veteran marathoner who hopes to earn a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon, and O'Connor is running her first marathon. She finds it humorous when colleagues ask if she expects to win. Jerry Meyers is a jovial 70-year-old who claims to run marathons for the t-shirt. Leah Caille is a new runner that took up the sport to help recover from an emotional divorce.
While preparing for the race, Bradley suffers a knee injury and is unable to compete. He is clearly upset by this, and takes out his frustration by going for a long bike ride. O'Connor and Caille go through the new experience of the long training sessions necessary for a marathoner. Meyers lends his veteran knowledge while leading slower training runs with his daughter, who is running her first marathon.
All of the long and dedicated training culminates on the day of the marathon. There are panoramic shots of the city that display the mass numbers of race participants and spectators. Njenga runs with the lead pack, but once again falls short in third place. Kastor has a lead for most of the race, but is challenged by Romanian Constantina Diţă-Tomescu at the very end of the race. In a dramatic finish, Kastor is able to fend off Diţă-Tomescu for the victory.
Bradley cheers his wife, Colleen, as she races to a 3:51:54 finish, while O'Connor seems to have a smooth race, and enjoys seeing friends in the crowd. Caille struggles with IT Band Syndrome, but eventually has a successful finish, crossing the line in 5:01:15. Meyers wears his favorite "Kansas" shirt and enjoys his race, finishing in 5:59:39.
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It really does not matter if one is a hardcore competitor or a leisure runner. By putting one foot forward to start a run is already an achievement in our own way. Hey, most of us start running while the rest of the world are still sleeping comfortably! It surely take commitment and discipline to just do that!
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