The sports world is chock full of stories about elite athletes overcoming injury to win major victories in their respective sports. As inspiring as those stories are, it’s refreshing to find something different every now and then.
Consider the journey of Jeff Beecham. A regular guy, with a regular guy’s body, who just happens to enjoy running the occasional casual marathon or half-marathon. Tapped by La Sportiva to be the subject of a documentary after winning an essay contest, Beecham sets out on the toughest physical challenge of his life — completing the iconic Leadville 100 under the cutoff time of 30 hours. The attempt marks Beecham’s first ultra — ever.
Most of us wouldn’t ever try such a thing. But Beecham’s got a secret weapon. The worst thing that’s ever happened to him has already happened. Running 100 miles through Colorado’s mountains? A piece of cake by comparison.
Pack the tissues for this one. It’s a bit of a tear-jerker. And a note on sensitive content — this video contains a discussion of and footage related to a child’s death.
Runtime: 19 minutes
