Running to the Limits
December 1, 2009 – 10:59 am
Running to the Limits
(Alex Vero, United Kingdom, 54min)
What does it take to become and international marathon runner? In 1985, 102 British male runners ran under 2 hours 20 minutes for the marathon — only 5 managed this same feat 20 years later. British distance running had all but disappeared but why?
16 stone, smoker, obese, heavy drinking filmmaker Alex Vero takes a introspective look at the decline of British marathon running and to find out first hand what it takes to become an international marathon runner.
The documentary delves into changes in UK society and the cultural and social differences between the British and East African athletes, who now dominate the sport. Vero’s journey from fat slob to elite athlete takes him on a journey across the world where his story becomes intertwined with Britain’s brightest hope for 2012, Oxford graduate Ben Moreau and exceptionally talented Ethiopian bellboy Mengsitu Abebe.
