Inspiration comes from various angles in this motion picture documentary titled "Racing Against the Clock". Writer, producer, and director Bill Haney of Uncommon Productions introduces viewers to five women, ranging in age from 50 to 82, who have their sights set on representing the United States in the Masters World Championship. Their athletic accomplishments are many; however, it is the way they have lived their lives to make the athletics possible that is the truly amazing aspect of these unique stories. The five featured athletes are: Margaret Hinton (former cow-girl and current nursing home resident; "When I was in high school girls were not allowed to play outside activities: we crossed our ankles, pulled our dresses below our knees, and kept our mouth shut"), Leonore McDaniels (political refugee; "Athletics has increased my self-confidence tremendously: we never had rewards"), Jacqueline Board (single mother and sharecropper's daughter; "Running let me think clearer, it gave me the ability to find the strength to go further, to do better; it made my will stronger"), Pat Peterson (three-time cancer survivor; "Knowing that all your friends are running in a world competition, and I'm lying in a hospital bed half dead, that gave me more incentive to get healthy"), and Phil Raschker (oldest athlete to be a finalist for the Sullivan Award for top amateur athletes; "If I'm healthy and trained I don't have any competition in the U.S. so going to the Worlds for me is the ultimate; that's what I train for; that's what I live for"). The 80-minute film includes footage from three primary venues, all shot during the spring of 2003. The first stop is during the National Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston (Usa/Massachusetts), where late Everett Hosack, then age 101, is also seen competing in the sprints. Next is the Senior Olympic National Championships, held in Norfolk (Usa/Virginia), where 30,000 people qualified by placing first or second in their state competitions. This event is just weeks before the Masters World Championships and is used to select the team to represent the United States. Finally, they are off to the 2003 Masters World Championships in Puerto Rico, a competition featuring 2,700 contestants from 78 different countries. If you want to see a spectacular demonstration of pure athleticism and triumph over adversity, then this is one film you will want to add to your running movie collection. Your soul will fill with inspiration and delight. To read more about this production, as well as place an order, visit the official site RacingAgainstTheClock.com. While there you can also view a trailer, read press comments, and view their numerous film festival appearances.
