Jon Dunham to run his 25th Marathon
Pasadena, Calif. (Nov 12, 2008) — Acclaimed Filmmaker Jon Dunham, who recently released the movie “Spirit of the Marathon”, will be running in the Inaugural Pasadena this Sunday morning, November 16. Pasadena will be Dunham’s 25th Marathon. A 2000 graduate of the USC Film School, the new Pasadena resident is also waiting to hear this week if his film will make the short list of films being considered to be nominated for the Best Documentary Feature for the Academy Awards.
Dunham states, “The marathon really changed my life. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I ran my first one, the 1993 LA Marathon, at age 15, and only having run a mile and a half in preparation! Miraculously, I managed to complete the race and I learned a major life lesson that day. I discovered a deep inner strength that I believe is inside everyone. In short, it was this realization that drove me to pursue a career in film and ultimately pay homage to the event by making ‘Spirit of the Marathon’."
Enthusiastically directed by Dunham, the movie shadows six competitors – including the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor – as they prepare for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. Originally released in about 500 theaters on January 24, 2008, in a one-night special event, the movie sold out nationwide. The movie had encore performances in theaters again in February, including a private screening for Pasadena Marathon supporters. The movie has been uniformly acclaimed by the likes of the LA Times (“Inspiring documentary that will give you a runners high”), the New York Times, Hollywood Reporter and Variety Magazine (“’Spirit of the Marathon’ develops into a surprisingly moving and substantive consideration of the 26-mile-plus running sport”). The movie DVD was just released on October 7 and is available at www.marathonmovie.com.
The Start/Finish Line for the Inaugural Pasadena Marathon is located directly in front of Pasadena City College on Colorado Boulevard. The Full and Half Marathon start at 6:30 AM on Sunday, November 16. For more information, visit www.pasadenamarathon.org.
About Pasadena Forward: Pasadena Forward was founded in 2004 by Executive Director, Israel Estrada. The organization’s mission is to promote enhanced quality of life for those who work, live, or attend school in the Pasadena area. By offering needed financial and logistical support to local civic and charitable agencies, Pasadena Forward aims to have a broad impact on the nonprofit community’s ability to deliver services. The Pasadena Marathon was conceived as a large-scale fundraiser to further the mission of Pasadena Forward.
About International City Racing: Led by Olympic Gold Medalist Bob Seagren, International City Racing, Inc. (ICR) specializes exclusively in the development, management and implementation of endurance, health, fitness and other special events. Besides the Inaugural Pasadena Marathon, ICR events include the Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K, 5K and Kids Fun Run that hosts over 12,000 runners and walkers on Thanksgiving Day, the OC Marathon held in May 2009, the Pacific Open Water Challenge/FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup to be held in Long Beach in August 2009, the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon that will host over 20,000 runners in October 2009, and the Annual Long Beach Belmont Shore Christmas Parade in December.
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