It’s 26.2 miles from Oakland to anywhere they wanna go.
2006
86 Minutes
Feature Film
Available on DVD
Running a marathon is a life changing event. Take this challenge to young adults who are still in high school, and watch the impact that reaching for a goal can have. Each year a program called Students Run Oakland sign up more than 50 participants who commit to training for the Los Angeles marathon. This 86 minute documentary focuses on four main participants, Fred, Marvin, Ebony, and Alma, who each find themselves struggling with all the emotions of being young while training for what seems like an impossible goal. To meet the requirements set by the program, these runners need to learn almost every aspect of how to conduct themselves and fortunately there are outstanding coaches to guide them along the way.
To take non-runners to marathon finishers in four short months requires exceptional coaches and volunteers. Coach Alphonzo Jackson and executive director Spencer Hooper have just the right mix to provide motivation, routine, structure, and guidance for many life lessons that come over such a short period of training. These runners seem to encounter struggles at every turn. Making practice, obtaining gear, improving fitness, and dealing with injury are all standard problems needing to be addressed during marathon training. Additional problems also have to be overcome such as where to stay at night, keeping in school, handling relationships, and the need to exert enough effort to accomplish what appears to be overwhelming tasks.
"Preparation is the key to success." ~Coach Alphonzo
"I like challenges and I know I can do anything that I set my mind to so I decided to join this program because I wanted to prove to myself and other people that I could do it." ~Marvyn
"If you go out too fast you are going to die, but if you go out easy and pace yourself and get yourself in a good rhythm you are going to be fine." ~Coach Alphonzo, prior to the 13 mile qualifying run.
"Let me tell you somethin’. I think that you have done more than you thought you could do. But you ain’t done as much as I think you can do. You ain’t done as much as you can do." ~Coach Spencer
"They don't have any concept of what they are getting themselves into. That’s why it changes them so much because it’s like ‘Wow, this was a little bit more than I thought it was, but I actually did it.’ That’s the whole philosophy about running a marathon." ~Coach Spencer
This documentary has been shown at major festivals around the world (San Francisco, Austin, Urbanworld in NY, Hot Docs in Toronto, DOCNZ, India) and look for additional screenings during race weekends throughout 2007. If you have completed a marathon you will find your own story coming through in universal messages on the screen. If you have wondered if you could conquer the marathon distance then this story has several messages that you can take away and learn from. Like life, the marathon throws challenges and opportunities where one may least expect it. You can learn more about this production that was directed and produced by Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva at the official web site, www.RunnersHighFilm.com, and you may place your order at ZombieRunner.com to own this film.
