Executive-produced by ultra-marathon runner Dean Karnazes, Desert Runners tracks participants in one of the most grueling athletic competitions conceivable—a quartet of on-foot treks across hundreds of miles of the Earth's most extreme environments: the Atacama desert/salt flats of Chile, the Gobi Desert in China, the Sahara, and—lastly—Antarctica (a very small patch of the polar continent is reserved for recreational visitors). A growing number of runners are determined to conquer all four deserts in the same year, a feat known as a "Grand Slam." Director Jennifer Steinman follows four amateurs aspiring to achieve a Grand Slam, including a middle-aged Irish novice runner (who sings Tom Lehrer's "Masochism Tango" prior to embarking) and an almost caricatured-macho British ex-soldier and security expert, who is running in memory of his late wife, a cancer victim. While the personalities are colorful, the ensuing drama never feels forced or exploitative, even when the Gobi segment is overshadowed by the death of a runner, and one of Steinman's subjects suffers a traumatic assault in North Africa. DVD extras include an interview with Karnazes and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Not just for sports enthusiasts, this documentary is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Cassady)
Desert Runners
(2014) 95 min. DVD: $19.99. Smush Media (avail. from www.amazon.com). Volume 30, Issue 1
Desert Runners
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