Nova Marathon Challenge by Joel Laino/PBS
The days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling, and the air is thick with the smell of Bengay. Yes, it’s marathon season. On Saturday, the Olympic Team Trials race will select the three U.S. runners for the event at next summer’s Beijing Games. The following day is the 38th New York City Marathon. NBC will show the Olympic Trials start live on the Today show, at 7:35 am/ET, as well as same-day highlight shows for both races.
To get an idea of what goes into preparing for the race, check out tonight’s surprisingly touching episode of PBS’ Nova, titled “Marathon Challenge.” The hour-long show explores both the psychological and physiological challenges of training for the 26.2-mile race. It features a group of 13 nonrunners participating in a 40-week training program for the Boston Marathon.
They’re an unimpressive bunch at the start — the group’s coach refers to them as “dog meat” — and they face a variety of obstacles (weight problems, illness, injury, personal issues), but gradually build endurance and fitness as the clock ticks down to race day. Inspiring without being too saccharine, "Marathon Challenge" is a nice blend of science and reality. Indeed, as one of the participants, 37-year-old father of five Jonathan, says, “I do feel like I am on some new, sort of latter-day public-television version of Survivor.”
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