2 reviews
Where Dreams Go To Die follows ultrarunner Gary Robbins on a 2-year adventure to complete the Barkley Marathon, one of the toughest, and weirdest, race there is.
For those who don't know about this race, here is a quick summary: It's a 100+ miles races through forests, briars, mountains and valleys in which you have to complete 5 alternating "loops", while collecting pages of books scattered around the the track (or lack thereof). No modern technology is allowed (no phone or gps), and there is a 60h limit to complete the full 5 loops.
In 2016 and 2017, Gary Robbins, an already accomplished ultrarunner, took part in what would be his toughest challenge to date. This documentary is very well-produced and gives us an honest look at what it takes to complete this race. It also helps that Gary is just a lovable guy and you really want hiim to succeed. The training, the preparation, the family, the friends, the running, the resting, the highs, the lows, it's all there. Most of us will probably never attempt a race like the Barkley, but the documentary is very relatable and it's easy to transpose those kinds of challenges to another hardship you might be having in your own life.
If I had one small complaint to add, is that due to the secrecy of the course, there is not as much footage of the actual marathon outside of the starting area as I would've liked.
For those who don't know about this race, here is a quick summary: It's a 100+ miles races through forests, briars, mountains and valleys in which you have to complete 5 alternating "loops", while collecting pages of books scattered around the the track (or lack thereof). No modern technology is allowed (no phone or gps), and there is a 60h limit to complete the full 5 loops.
In 2016 and 2017, Gary Robbins, an already accomplished ultrarunner, took part in what would be his toughest challenge to date. This documentary is very well-produced and gives us an honest look at what it takes to complete this race. It also helps that Gary is just a lovable guy and you really want hiim to succeed. The training, the preparation, the family, the friends, the running, the resting, the highs, the lows, it's all there. Most of us will probably never attempt a race like the Barkley, but the documentary is very relatable and it's easy to transpose those kinds of challenges to another hardship you might be having in your own life.
If I had one small complaint to add, is that due to the secrecy of the course, there is not as much footage of the actual marathon outside of the starting area as I would've liked.
- ledavidmalo
- Mar 12, 2018
- Permalink
My partner and I lost interest and turned this movie off before it ended.
Part of it was that this movie mostly concentrated on non-race training and then pit stops during the race. Unlike the superior "The Race That Eats It's Young" documentary, this movie didn't show any scenes of actually transversing the B. M. course, which one could say is the heart of what the movie is about.
Also, we found ourselves not caring about Gary Robbins, or seeing him as any sort hero worth investing ourselves in. He barked at his wife and crew in an off putting way, often seemed puffed up, and generally seemed inauthentic. He seemed like an accomplished athlete, but not an accomplished human.
Part of it was that this movie mostly concentrated on non-race training and then pit stops during the race. Unlike the superior "The Race That Eats It's Young" documentary, this movie didn't show any scenes of actually transversing the B. M. course, which one could say is the heart of what the movie is about.
Also, we found ourselves not caring about Gary Robbins, or seeing him as any sort hero worth investing ourselves in. He barked at his wife and crew in an off putting way, often seemed puffed up, and generally seemed inauthentic. He seemed like an accomplished athlete, but not an accomplished human.
- FifteenOcelots
- Aug 27, 2024
- Permalink