The Ultra Pickle Project

The Rock Tours Around Great Britain, 2006-2007(en)

The Rock Touring Around Great Britain is a performance piece by Chinese artist He Yunchang that involved a walking circumambulation of Great Britain from September 23, 2006 to June 14, 2007. Starting from the hamlet of Rock, Northumberland, the artist walked to the nearby town of Boulmer where he selected a rock which he then carried counterclockwise until he returned it to the precise location from which it was taken. As the artist commented, the work was primarily "an attempt to represent the iron will of an individual and the living conditions of his being with simple and pure methods."

Lorena: Light-Footed Woman(es)

A young woman of the Tarahumara, well-known for their extraordinary long distance running abilities, wins ultramarathons seemingly out of nowhere despite running in sandals.

Ultraman(es)

Erwin Valdebenito is an anonymous and quiet man who works in a state office. At the same time, he is an athlete who trains daily for the sport he loves: the ultramarathon. Every morning, Erwin Valdebenito risks his life in the middle of the road, driven by a desire that grows more intense each day. Running to the limits of obsession means looking at the normal and the bizarre, where the mystery of every dream prevails.

Caribou(fr)

Brian Reynolds: The Leadville Trail 100(en)

Brian Reynolds, a double amputee below the knee athlete, has triumphed over numerous challenges throughout his life. Growing up without a role model to guide him, he has embarked on a mission to empower para athletes by demonstrating that nothing is beyond reach. Join us in this documentary as we follow Brian's journey to make history by becoming the first double amputee to conquer the legendary Leadville 100 Ultra Trail Marathon in Colorado.

The Fall(en)

The Fall tells the remarkable story of a South African barefoot runner, an American track-and-field prodigy, and the events behind one of the most memorable moments in sporting history – the 1984 LA Olympics. The film charts two journeys, from rural South Africa under apartheid and the rolling hills of Southern California, to the starting line of the women’s 3,000 metres. It uncovers a tale of betrayal and exploitation, of the blurred lines between politics, media and sport, and of the dedication and sacrifice required to compete at the highest level. It’s a story that split governments and divided nations, but at its heart is a tale of two young women who, despite the turmoil in their lives, just wanted to run.

The 25,000 Mile Love Story(en)

Swiss endurance athlete Serge Roetheli's thirst for adventure and desire to raise money and awareness for children suffering across the globe propelled him to run a distance equal to the earth's circumference. Accompanied by his equally adventurous wife Nicole, who drove a motorcycle with their supplies and pup tent in tow, they planned and executed the journey of a lifetime. Leaving from Sion, Switzerland in 2000, they returned five years later having traversed six continents and thirty-five countries. Alone in the world's most unforgiving landscapes they confronted challenges that threatened to push them beyond their physical and emotional limits - extreme weather, civil unrest, deadly disease, horrific poverty and a variety of other life-threatening events.

Par monts et par maux(fr)

Zátopek(cs)

Autumn 1968, the Australian running record holder Ron Clarke is coming to Prague, hoping that his old friend and role model, Emil Zátopek, the most famous Czech athlete of all time, will help him overcome the biggest crisis of his career.

Terry(en)

"Terry" tells the story of 21-year old amputee Terry Fox who attempted to run across Canada with only one leg. Unfortunately, he only made it to Thunder Bay, Ontario when he died, one month before his 23rd birthday yet his memories will live on forever in the hearts of Canadians everywhere.

Tracktown(en)

A bright, talented and lonely long-distance runner twists her ankle as she prepares for the Olympic Trials and must do something she's never done before: take a day off.

Early to Bed(en)

Alan Bleasdale’s television debut, this beautifully observed drama stars Alison Steadman as a woman having a passionate tryst with the boy next door while her husband is at work.

Office Race(en)

An unambitious office worker goes to great lengths—specifically 26.2 miles—to one up his exercise-obsessed, micromanaging boss.

Running(en)

An Olympic hopeful marathon runner hopes his success will be the answer to his marriage woes and other personal problems.

LIMBS(en)

Emotionally volatile and ostracized from his home, 21-year-old JD Weymouth has picked up long distance running as a way to center himself. When an old friend returns to town, JD must confront his past and the emotional distance he’s yet to cover.

Oh No, Lasse Falls!(fi)

The Munich Olympic Stadium, 1972. Athletes and officials are preparing for the 10,000 metres final. Lasse Virén is warming up on the track. It is not a big day only for Virén but for the whole nation. But one man cannot win alone. It takes a dedicated group of hardworking, reliable people. In a desolate bunker near the track, six Finnish men are preparing to help Lasse achieve the run of his life. A run that changes history. All for the small, relentless nation from the dark cold North.

Master and Man(fi)

In the 1920s, two names dominated the world's long-distance running rankings. Paavo Nurmi was a legend in his own lifetime, but Ville Ritola is remembered by only a few. These biggest rivals to each other were different in almost every way, but they both shared a passion for winning.

We Need to Talk About Dad(en)

A documentary following a family in turmoil. Seven years ago, they were the happiest, perfect family. A loving husband and wife with two beautiful boys. When the children were 17 and 10 the oldest son, Henry discovered his mother half dead in the garden. She was unrecognizable because there was so much blood and his father just stood there watching her try to crawl to safety. His father had blindfolded his mother and walked her out to the garden where he hit her in the head with the back of an ax, fracturing her skull in three places and leaving her to die. He only served 5 months in prison and then tried to return to the family as if nothing had happened. The family hid the whole tragedy from the youngest son, Felix. Now that Felix is 17 yrs. old Henry decides to tell him the whole story, while trying to heal himself.

Elias Petropoulos: An Underground World(el)

“I present the world with a very different approach, not as it was taught to us at school or in the army. I believe that each one has the right to see the society he lives in with his own particular view. I am, personally, more interested in Devil than God”- Elias Petropoulos. A restless and inquisitive spirit, a foe of academics and the status-quo, Petropoulos was the first folklorist in Greece, who dealt with social outcasts and described people and situations ignored by his country’s official history. Petropoulos takes us on a journey to unknown landscapes of our tradition and Greek-ness and acquaints us with all those people who belong to our social underground and who dominate his books. Rebetika musicians, bums, spivs, whores and homosexuals, people tormented and Greek-ness and acquaints us with all those people who belong to our social underground.

Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers(en)

In April 2013, chaos erupted in Boston near the finish line of one of the world's oldest and most prestigious marathons. It was the worst terrorist attack on the United States since 9/11 and led to one of the most extensive and public manhunts in American history. Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches, National Geographic Channel presents a special two-hour event, Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers.