This week’s film was a documentary on the Barkley Marathons. I have never heard of the event, or for that matter the entire sport of extreme marathon running. The point of these ridiculously long, arduous races seems to be to challenge yourself. Your goal is to push yourself to your limits and learn how to accept defeat. The Barkley Marathons in particular highlight the futility of mankind. So far only 15 people have ever finished the race since its inception in the mid 1980s. It is a life lesson, you can try your hardest but ultimately fail. Even if you finish the race you get nothing but the pride of completing. The Marathons are organized by Lazarus Lake, an eccentric fellow who has wrapped up his philosophy of life into one fun foot race. The race stacks almost everything against the competitors, puts them through the worst possible conditions. Competitors face harsh weather, physical and emotional pain as they run. Like the race, life is no easy task and merely successfully completing the either the race or life is prize enough.