Marathon of the Sands

Endurance sports videos can be pretty dismal, but the injection of a significant dose of insanity can turn even the most unpalatable subjects into a semi-delight. Such is the case with this entry in the Outside Television series (other titles include Liquid Off the Throne of Shiva and The Hudson Riverkeepers), in which a multinational squad of lanky athletes attempts to run for seven days across the Sahara--voluntarily!! Starting in "only" 84-degree morning heat, the runners face difficulties ranging from the expected searing heat to running on sand, hardly the best footing one could desire. Can heat prostration and circling vultures be far behind? How much more civilized it is to best one's rivals physically rather than by plotting and voting against them like on TV's Survivor or Big Brother. Other than that, this video and Survivor are two sides of the same programming coin: contrived competitions undertaken by people bent on achieving fame and some degree of fortune through grit and indomitable will (whether one is sport and the other exploitation is a matter of perspective). Marathon of the Sands features some fine visuals (perhaps too many shots of sandy feet), pithy if occasionally over-the-top commentary, and pre-taped, touchy-feely interviews with the participants interspersed with the race "action." A strong optional purchase for more daring sports collections. Aud: P. (M. Tribby)