Victoria Costantino | 10.08.2014
Welcome to our 2014 Festival Staff Picks column! We’ll be posting some first looks at Festival Films to look out for on the 2014 Film Schedule. Check back to the AFF blog for new Staff Picks each week!
The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young
This inspiring film documents one of the world’s most challenging outdoor races, the Barkley Marathons, which is located in Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. The film’s tagline, “The Race That Eats Its Young”, alludes to the level of difficulty each contestant endures, as they trek across 100 miles of diverse, mountainous terrain. An unforgettable, eclectic running enthusiast, Lazarus Lake, created the race after learning that Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, James Earl Ray, only ventured 8 miles during a time span of 55 hours in the mountains. Thinking he could “do at least 100 miles” in the same amount of time, Lazarus Lake designed the Barkley Marathons to feature an ambiguous route, unique checkpoints, and only 60 continuous hours to complete the grueling challenge by map navigation and physical endurance. Since its inception in 1986, the Barkley Marathons have only been completed by a small fraction of those who attempt it. This film offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to journey alongside Barkley participants, as they push their bodies to fatigue with the communal hope of accomplishing a feat that has only been attained by an admirable few.
Victoria Costantino, Theater Operations Coordinator
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