Can you imagine a world where the Willamette River trails in Eugene and the Eastbank Esplanade in Portland were void of runners? Where Pre’s Trail wasn’t even on the map, or Forest Park was just a place for folks to hike? If not for a few key events and forward-thinking pioneers, that might be the case. The movie “Free to Run,” now available digitally, is a veritable history of how running became possible, then socially acceptable, then popular.
It’s a movie that starts before running was “normal” (unless you were a criminal trying to elude capture or “a masochistic weirdo”). The film’s path follows a course with views of all the major milestones in the development of the marathon to illustrate the changes in the sport over the past 50 years.
As you might expect, there are ties to Oregon in this French documentary. Eugene’s legendary coach Joe Henderson comments on a number of topics, and there’s a good explanation of why Steve Prefontaine’s work on and off the track was so important. But rather than focus on a narrow topic, the film follows the course through history, letting each advancement build on the previous growth and piques a viewer’s curiosity to learn more about the runners and events in the film.
One of my favorite things about this film was the extensive use of old footage. For example, a portion of the film dives into the growth (and lengthening of distances women were “allowed” to run at competitions. “Free to Run” has video footage of Kathrine Switzer as she is protected by her coach and her boyfriend as Jock Semple tried to bodily remove her from the Boston Marathon course. You’ve probably seen the photo, but the video is something else. There is footage of Joanie at the ’84 games, interviews with Bobbi Gibb, and quotes that speak to the strength and freedom found in women’s running: “girls run a lot and they’re beautiful.” But the film goes beyond what you may have picked up from Runner’s World on the topic; after watching this film, I have a new respect for what Switzer did after that monumental race.
I also appreciated that the film explored the positives and the negatives to the growth of the sport, for both elite and recreational runners. It’s without question that what Fred Lebow did for the NYC Marathon (and by extension, the city of New York) was vital for the development of marathons into “events.” This, however, came with raising expenses (and raising registration fees), conflicting opinions regarding appearance fees for international-class competitors, and what some consider to be the dilution of running – “theme runs” where it’s less about racing and more about getting muddy, painted like a rainbow, or rewarding 5k finishers with a medal the size of a dinner plate.
This would be a great film to watch with your running friends or with your kids, if they are into running. The content sparks discussion … “I didn’t know that!” or “Wow, I can’t believe that … ” are two phrases I definitely said out loud while watching “Free to Run. If you want to watch it at your house, you can purchase it digitally on YouTube, Amazon Video, iTunes, and Google Play for $6.99. You can also see it on the big screen on August 19, 2016. Look for details to be posted on the websites for Cinema 21 in Portland and the Broadway Metro Cinema in Eugene.
This film will open your eyes to what it was like for the pioneers of road racing and hopefully inspire you to learn more about them. I am amazed that director Pierre Morath found the footage he did; it gives us “younger” runners some insight into what it was like when running shorts were only available in one lengths: short. As the topics evolve throughout the 99-minute film, there’s a common thread of runners – the pioneers who never meant to become icons, the elites who elevated the competition, and runners like you are me – when we run, no matter how many others are running with us, it’s still a simple form of expression. Whether your running expresses joy, drive, solace – that’s up to you, and that’s what makes running such a freeing experience.
Note: The narration for the documentary was originally recorded in French. When the English narration was recorded, the marathon distance was converted from kilometers to miles, and they erroneously state the distance as “26.4 miles” due to a mathematical conversion error. Don’t let it bother you – the marathon has officially been 26.2 miles (42.195 km) since 1921, although it was first set at that length for the 1908 London Olympic Games.
