Spirit of the Marathon

 

Story:

“Six runners from vastly different backgrounds train for the 26.2 miles of glory that comprise the famed Chicago Marathon. Along the way, filmmaker John Dunham provides an informative account at the centuries-old race. Vintage film clips and thoughtful interviews fill out this heartfelt portrait, which also includes appearances by legendary runners…” (Netflix)

Review:

Considering the time of year, I thought I would check out Spirit of the Marathon in honor of those thousands upon thousands of people who are either finishing off their Chicago Marathon preparations or just now remembering they registered for the race, and it’s definitely a great flick.  It offers a very entertaining and true to life look at marathon running that can appeal to runners, athletes, and spectators of all ages. The film follows a diverse group of race entrants, from the woman just hoping to get through the 26.2 miles to the professional runner who was actually being sponsored to run, and in exploring their race preparations, the film gives a very honest (portrayal) of the many physical and emotional trials runners go through to get through the race.  In addition, the film is not only about the personal impact marathon can have on people and places, but it is also about the history of the Chicago Marathon, as well as different marathons around the nation.  Through its interview subjects and bits of history weaved into the narrative, the film explores not only what marathons can mean for the runners, but it also details a number of changes and milestones the event went through before becoming what marathons came to be today. The film gets into really wide topics, but it also exposes some of the painful truths, like the fact that marathon running can often bump people up against (or shoot way past) the line of what the human body should do.  The emotional preparation each runner must go through to get to where they need to be at the starting line really stands out as a bright spot in the film.   Spirit of the Marathon really encompasses a lot of story, too.  At the start of the film, I thought I was going to see a very basic, low tech look at six people practicing for the big day by jogging through Chicago forest preserves, but I was shocked to see as the documentary went on that it covers a lot of ground and features scenes (that actually do add to the story, no less) shot on at least four continents. Also, in taking some cues from the audience with whom I was watching the doc, I really liked how so much of the documentary can be enjoyed by virtually anyone and the film isn’t there to only entertain those with three marathon finishes under their belt. It’s such an excellent watch that during parts of it I was almost convinced I should sign up for the next marathon I could try to get into.  But thankfully for any viewer (this reviewer included), actually entering a marathon is not an entry requirement for this doc.

Reviewed by Ryan Pollyea for Documentary Film Online on September 22, 2009

In Conclusion: