Two Running Movies Worth Watching
I recently watched the films, Running the Sahara and Ultramarathon Man. It was very interesting to compare and contrast the two films and the main characters in them, Charlie Engle in Running the Sahara and Dean Karnazes in Ultramarathon Man.
In Running the Sahara, three ultrarunners set off to to become the first people to run across the Sahara, eventually covering 4300 miles in 111 days. The stress of the effort to cross the Sahara causes some conflicts within the team and with their support crew. At one point near the end of their journey, Charlie takes off on his own, forcing his teammates to race to catch up.
Charlie Engle, a former addict turned ultramarathoner, pushes the team to their limits as they cross the desert. In a significant moment, Charlie admits to having made a “lot of bad decisions” and that his “finances are a mess”.
Despite the audacity of their effort to run across the Sahara, Charlie and his team don’t seem to have any corporate sponsors. No bottled water companies, no sunscreen lotion makers, no sunglass companies, etc.
Unfortunately, we now know that Charlie Engle took out second mortgages on two properties, inflated his income on the loan applications, and used the equity in these properties to finance part of the Sahara trip. He was recently convicted of 12 counts of bank, mail, and wire fraud and was sentenced to 21 months in jail. For more on Charlie’s situation, check out his blog.
I’ve embedded a trailer for Running the Sahara below:
In contrast, Dean Karnazes’ team in Ultramarathon Man is well financed and well supported by a number of corporate sponsors. With the exception of a near disaster in the rain in Atlanta, where Dean falls and is injured, Dean’s effort to complete 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days is well-organized.
Although Dean is a self-professed introvert who likes to run long distances alone, mostly at night, near his home in San Francisco, he not only puts in the physical effort required to run the 50 marathons, but also spends hours talking with fellow runners, supporters, and the press.
His enthusiasm for what he is doing is contagious and he inspires everyone he comes in contact with. He also expresses concert for the safety and comfort the people who are running with him, making sure that they get everything they need to successfully complete their marathon alongside him.
Both of these films are well worth watching, but I enjoyed watching Ultramarathon Man more. Both demonstrated the ability of people to complete amazing adventures, but Dean Karnazes’ Ultramarathon Man makes you want to join in and launch an adventure of your own.
I’ve embedded a trailer for Ultramarathon Man below:
Have you seen either of these films? What did you think of them? Tell me in the comments.
Related Posts:
Results of Favorite Running Movie Survey
