I was a bit peeved at the "one night only" nature of the screening, but Spirit of the Marathon turned out to be a great documentary for its intended audience -- runners, and the people that are willing to put up with them. The film explores the journey of six runners as they prepare to take on the challenge of the 2005 Chicago Marathon. Together they manage to represent all bands over the marathoning spectrum: male/female, young/old, elite/back-of-pack.
I will readily admit that much of the film rekindled feelings and experiences I had during my preparation and my race. I am so glad I watched this two weeks after my marathon, and not two weeks before, or it would have amplified the emotions of my taper madness even more. There 's some good music and visuals. My jaw dropped at the aerial shot that panned up the entire crowd of runners at the Chicago starting corrals; that was an amazing image on the big screen!
The story of Daniel (the elite male) losing family members and a house to thugs in Kenya was very touching. It's a nice reminder that these guys aren't just running machines from Africa; they have lives back home with concerns like the rest of us.
I would love to have the DVD of this when available; I just hope it's not priced much higher than the typical Hollywood new release.
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