The vitals:
Monday, 1/13
7:00 ~ Doors
7:30 ~ THE BARKLEY MARATHONS: THE RACE THAT EATS ITS YOUNG

Once a year, in an undisclosed location somewhere along the Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, 100 hyper-committed (some might even say insane) runners gather to compete in the world's hardest race. There are no sponsorships waiting for the winner, no giant cash prize to make up for the participants' pain and suffering. The entry fee is a license plate from your home state/country and whatever article of clothing the race organizer, Lazarus Lake, needs on that particular year. It is a purely meaningless accomplishment outside of the accomplishment itself, a stirring reminder of what defines humanity's silly, indomitable spirit.

At the time of this movie's filming, there were more people that had been to the moon than had finished this decades-old annual competition, but to go into detail about why would take away from the teasing, gleeful joy that "The Race That Eats Its Young" takes in showcasing just how absurd this race is. The film has sharper comedic timing than most comedies and a clearer view of what drives people to push themselves beyond the limits of their endurance than most "Hellraiser" movies. And while there have been multiple documentaries covering the event since this low-budget documentary increased awareness of the race, no other documentary since has gotten to the core of why this race should matter to anyone besides the few hundred people who do it.

-Ziah Grace

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