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Chicago Tribune
A highlight that's intensely local
Review by Jessica Reaves
October 5, 2007
Spirit of the Marathon
While its focus is the 2005 Chicago Marathon, the famously fast, flat race that will set off for the 30th time Sunday morning, Jon Dunham and Mark Jonathan Harris's stirring documentary is a special treat for Chicagoans of every fitness level. It's a moving, clever, heartfelt examination of the marathon both as elite athletic competition and as "the Everyman's Everest," as one longtime trainer calls it; it's also a love letter to Chicago, capturing the human stories behind one of the city's annual highlights.
The marathon experience is as unique as the runners who hope to conquer it. Some, like Northwestern Ph.D. candidate Lori O'Connor, are first-time runners who just want to finish without seriously injuring themselves. Others come from around the world with something to prove: Deena Kastor, the quietly upbeat Olympic bronze medalist arrived in Chicago having never won a marathon, and Daniel Njenga, the fiercely determined champion who lives in Tokyo but sends his race winnings home to Kenya. Keep an eye out for Njenga at Friday's screenings -- and in the front lines of the race on Sunday. 6 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Fri., AMC
