Desert Runners

Four people set out to finish the four hardest ultra marathons in the world within a single year. Among them are an ageing Irish businessman and an Australian who wants to act. The other two are a retired American baseball player and a British bodyguard who has been widowed. The races take place in Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica. None of the four is a professional athlete, and the goal had only been attempted by professionals before. The documentary shows the time between the races as much as the races themselves. Some of the obstacles are physical and some are things nobody planned for. The film treats running not as a display of achievement but as work that keeps going. Jennifer Steinman Sternin’s American documentary, ninety one minutes long, was completed in 2013.