Explores running's evolution from elite male sport in 1960s to populist phenomenon, examining impact of liberation movements, newfound personal freedom, and pioneers like Prefontaine, Lebow, and Switzer who democratized the activity.
Today, all anybody needs to run is the determination and a pair of the right shoes. But just fifty years ago, running was viewed almost exclusively as the domain of elite male athletes who competed on tracks. With insight and propulsive energy, director Pierre Morath traces running's rise to the 1960s, examining how the liberation movements and newfound sense of personal freedom that defined the era took the sport out of the stadiums and onto the streets, and how legends like Steve Prefontaine, Fred Lebow, and Kathrine Switzer redefined running as a populist phenomenon.