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Analysis Of The Film Without Limits

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The video that is linked above is the eulogy speech scene from the 1998 film Without Limits, which follows the running career of Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine was an Oregonian and a distance runner, and one of the famous names that can claim credit for the running boom in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He at one time held 7 American records, all in long distance events from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. His short career peaked with his appearance at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, where he placed fourth, though he might have won if not for his front-running strategy. In the world of distance running, leading a race is not advised in the least, since the leader tends put forth a monstrous amount of energy compared to that or other runners. This strain on the leader’s strength tends to destroy them in the end, as they are usually passed in the final stretch of the race, if not before. Predictably, most runners prefer to draft than to lead. This is because it does not compel the drafting runner to push themselves, as they may just wait and dust their competition with a swift final kick. Prefontaine despised this running strategy, and many believe that is the reason why he failed achieve a medal in Munich. Had he lived long enough to see another Olympics, he might well have become the best in the world at the 5,000-meter distance. Unfortunately, Prefontaine died on May 30th, 1975 when he flipped his car after a night of drinking. He only lived to be 24. Yet his running style and

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