ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
THE HUMAN RACE is an inspirational documentary about five runners, ages 50-90, as they each train for the biggest race of their lives.

SYNOPSIS
Many avid runners wonder if there's an age at which they’ll have to give up their beloved sport and take up a slightly gentler hobby. Simply put, the answer is: no. Believe it or not, many runners participate in marathons—even ultra marathons—in their 80’s, 90’s and 100’s. After meeting some of these senior runners, we were blown away by their tenacity, their energy, and their heart.

In THE HUMAN RACE, five runners over the age of 50 will be closely followed for a three-month period as each one trains for the most challenging race he or she has ever tried to tackle. As they train, we will see these athletes attempt to clear every hurdle—literally and metaphorically. We’ll get to know their colorful personalities and gain insight on how running has helped them through various struggles in their lives. In the process, we will explore both the physical and mental benefits of an exercise regimen for people of any age.

We will support our pro-exercise stance by providing interviews with top medical professionals, trainers, and coaches. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 40.3 million Americans are age 65 and older. That number is expected to more than double to 89 million by 2050. And any of them will tell you—aging is not for sissies. James Fries, a professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, ran a thirteen-year study on runners and non-runners and concluded that running actually delays age-related disabilities by almost two decades, that runners are seven times LESS likely to require knee replacement, and that running doesn’t lead to increased hip, back or knee problems and actually prevents fractures of the hips and spine. But his biggest finding surprised even him: runners are half as likely as non-runners to die early. Simply put, Dr. Fries believes that exercise is the single best way to elongate the active and vital years of life and decrease the total amount of lifetime disability.

We hope this film will not only inspire people of all generations to get moving, but will also show an often underestimated or ignored demographic in the fierce light they deserve. But our biggest goal? To show people that human beings of ALL ages are capable of extraordinary things, and that it’s never too late to start.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Liz Vassey
PRODUCER Liz Vassey, Juliet Gray, Debbie Voiles

WEBSITE the-human-race.net