Tinseltown to show 'Spirit of the Marathon'

Tinseltown to show ‘Spirit of the Marathon’

It isn’t often that distance runners are given national mainstream attention, so the across-the-U.S. showing of a documentary film titled “Spirit of the Marathon” on Jan. 24 is both surprising and noteworthy.

“Spirit of the Marathon” is a non-fiction feature film that intends to capture the drama and essence of the acclaimed 26.2-mile running event. Filmed on four continents by NCM Fathom in partnership with Active.com and Wasserman Media Group, the production brings together a diverse cast of both amateur athletes and marathon phenoms.

The documentary captures the individual journeys that six runners take to prepare for and ultimately face the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. Featured are: Deena Kastor, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist; first-time marathoners Leah Caille and Lori O’Connor; Jerry Meyers, who has run four marathons; Daniel Njenga, a world-class marathoner from Kenya; and Boston Marathon hopeful Ryan Bradley.

Also to be shown is a behind-the-scenes featurette produced specifically for this one-night event. It has interviews with the director and producers as well as marathon veterans who reminisce about their first marathon experiences. It includes deleted scenes, dramatic race footage and a preview of the upcoming 2008 Olympics with a Q&A session with Olympians Kastor and Ryan Hall.

Both the film and featurette will be shown in high definition with Cinema Surround Sound, and nearby theater venues included in the film’s showing are the Tinseltown in Pueblo and both the IMAX and Tinseltown in Colorado Springs at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at those box offices or online at www.FathomEvents.com

Running

In case you were wondering why you haven’t seen any entry forms for the annual Frostbite 5, it’s because the race has not been scheduled for 2008 and is now part of history.

The popular Winter Series will begin Jan. 12 in the Colorado Springs area. Each of the four races in the series are held at different venues, and the distances of both the short and long divisions of the series get progressively longer with each every-other-week race.

This year’s Pueblo Chieftain Spring Runoff will be celebrating its “pearl year” 30th anniversary when it is held on March 2. The extravaganza will again include a toddler race, one-mile kids fun run, two-mile non-competitive walk and 5K, 10K and 10-mile races. The Runoff may give awards to the top masters (40 and over) finishers in the race divisions this year, and technical shirts are being considered.

Registration for the 30th annual Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day has already started online. The early registration fee is $35 for the short-sleeved T-shirt package and $40 for a long-sleeved shirt. The rates go up after May 11.

The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, which fill about as fast as you can say Triple Crown of Running, will list this year’s registration information on its website sometime this month. It is anticipated that online registration will start March 1, but that isn’t certain.

The Rock Canyon Half-Marathon held last month drew a record 399 entrants and had 346 finishers, with icy and windy weather in the region causing more than three dozen no-shows. Helping to soothe the aching muscles with free massages to grateful finishers afterward were more than a dozen students enrolled in Pueblo Community College’s Massage Therapy program.

Marathons

Canon City’s Vicki Meier survived an unusually cold (42 degrees) and windy (20 mph) Dallas day to record a 3:49 time in the White Rock Marathon on Dec. 9. She plans to return to some speed training to prepare for the Spring Runoff 10-miler.

For the record, three southern Colorado runners have completed marathons or ultramarathons in all 50 states – Marv Bradley and Sam McClure of Canon City and Cheryl Cook-McCoy of Salida. Bradley, 68, who ran a handful of both marathons and ultramarathons in 2007, has accomplished the feat twice, and he now has run more than 150 marathons or ultras in his career. In case you were wondering, Marv isn’t even close to the all-time leader. According to the 50 States Marathon Club website, Norm Frank has completed 944 of them. Bradley, by the way, serves as a vice president for the 50 States club.

Race Calendar

• Feb. 10 – Valentine’s Twosome (partners race), 1.6M each partner, 9 a.m., City Park (947-3682).
• Feb. 17 – Spring Runoff Tuneup (Prediction Series race), 10K, City Park (564-0847).
• March 2 – Spring Runoff, toddler 60-yard, 1M youth fun run, 2M walk and 5k, 10K and 10M runs, Dutch Clark Stadium (547-2777).

Websites:

• Southern Colorado Runners: www.socorunners.org/
• Pikes Peak Road Runners: www.pprrun.org/
• Spirit of the Marathon: www.marathonmovie.com
• Pikes Peak Ascent, Marathon: www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

Send comments and fitness information to Gary Franchi via e-mail at garyf@bresnan.net.

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