Running Movies

Chariots of Fire
The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for best picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson

		Fire on the Track
		The legendary distance runner Steve Prefontaine blazed across tracks and into America's consciousness before meeting a tragic death in an auto accident at the age of 24. In this tribute to "Pre," narrated by writer Ken Kesey, a number of his contemporaries speak movingly of him as an athlete and a person. After setting high school running records in his native Oregon, Prefontaine went on to the University of Oregon, where as a freshman he began to dominate the American track scene and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was a distinctive character and archival films demonstrate the charisma and astounding confidence he brought to his sport. His race in the 5,000 meters at the 1972 Munich Olympics is shown in detail, with other runners in the race offering commentary on the gutsy performance
of the 21-year-old. Pre didn't win a medal in the race, but as his sister puts it, the race "matured him" and made him determined to win gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics (which he wouldn't live to do). Though one of the world's best athletes, after college he was forced to survive on food stamps, and he became a spokesman for the plight of amateur athletes. This is a touching look at a brilliant athlete and a charming character who still inspires runners today. --Robert J. McNamara

Without Limits
Steve Prefontaine was a champion's champion, holder of every American distance-running record from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. Fans elevated him to rock star status. Athletes were inspired by him. Off the track, officials mired in outdated politics got the point that activist Pre was taking the sport into a new era. Billy Crudup, uncannily resembling the real-life Pre, and Donald Sutherland, as coach and mentor Bill Bowerman, give strong portrayals of lives aflame with conviction. Infused with track-savvy authenticity by director Robert Towne and his co-writer Kenny Moore (Prefontaine's friend and a former world-class runner), Without Limits comes home a winner. (Description from the summary on the back of the Without Limits DVD)

		Running on the Sun
		This documentary focuses on some of the Badwater Ultramarathon competitors to give an accurate portrait of this race and what it does to a person. From a Marine to a man with a prosthetic leg to a 68 year old man to the current record holder of Badwater, Running on the Sun has an interesting cast of characters. So many of these runners are just ordinary people with extraordinary drive, passion, and commitment. Most competitors are seeking the incredible personal accomplishment of finishing (in 60 hours or less) and
perhaps even chase the goal of finishing in under 48 hours to be awarded the Badwater belt buckle. Only those few who can finish in under 48 hours can earn that belt buckle. Running on the Sun touches upon why someone would run Badwater and what it takes.