It IS the Journey
By Howard Shapiro
I have been a runner for quite some time now. My friend Abby is an even stronger and more avid runner than me. She has run big miles as well as the more formal ‘ultras’ that are 50K (30+ miles) and more. She’s the real thing. Watching the movie ‘The Runner’ I realized this movie could just as easily be about her. The effort to run the PCT is non-gender specific. The emotion, fortitude, and physical, mental, and emotional strength are the keys and what ultra runners have in common.
In 2014 while hiking a section of the Oregon PCT we crossed paths with Joe ‘Stringbean’ McConaughy. He was in the midst of setting a new record for fastest supported run of the trail. Nine years earlier another person was forging a record that would stand until Joe came along. His name was David Horton. Horton is featured in the movie ‘The Runner’. The film appeared on You Tube back in April. Why it took so long to be made is unclear. Despite that it is a fascinating character study of a very driven but humble man. JB Benna the director and also an Ultra runner has put together a fitting tribute to both the effort and the man, David Horton.
Horton has been running for forty or more years and during that time set a record for running the AT. He was an instructor of exercise physiology at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.There he taught a course in running where the students were expected to complete big miles as an essential part of their coursework. David Horton at the time of his PCT attempt was 55 years old. Watching him in the movie he appears nearly ageless. His goal is to break an 83-day record. He admits to liking to run long distances and run long miles in the mountains. When asked why run it, why not backpack it, his response is, “I am a runner not a backpacker.”
We see and get to know this gentle southern gentleman, with the emphasis on gentle. He is a sensitive soul and freely shows his emotions and his spirtuality. His personality combined with his drive is probably one of the big attractions to the people on his support team. They are hiking long miles to bring him and at times others running with him, food and water. It is nothing to be hopscotching by vehicle to get to the next rendezvous point. This means long hours and many hits with some misses. The viewer gets a clear understanding of how essential a support team is.
As the film begins Horton is quickly realizing the challenge he has set for himself. It is hot and dry on June 5th of 2005 when he sets off. He soon sees how remote his run will be. He says, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” Out of his typical character he feels some trepidation and has to dig deep to face each subsequent day. One strategy he employs is to walk up hills to save energy. The PCT is never short of a hill so when he can run he does and is often running forty plus miles over long hours. He also calls on his spirituality and his strong supportive relationship with his family.
His greatest challenge is getting through the Sierras. He arranges for an experienced ultra runner, Brian Robinson, to join him for this very tough stretch in an exceptionally tough year because of especially snowy conditions. Robinson, held a previous PCT speed record of just over 85 days (unsupported) in 2001. Later this was broken by another ultra runner in 2003 at around 83 days. Both men will carry light packs through this section that takes them over the highest parts of the entire PCT. It is a daunting experience.
Their trek over the Sierras is emphasized in this film, and for good reason. What they face and have to overcome is easy to relate to as a viewer. A lot of this is due to the character of David Horton. It is during this time that we get to really find out what Horton is made of. Anyone who has done the John Muir/PCT will easily understand. Those that haven’t will get great insight into that endeavor.
This movie surprised me by the honesty of the main character and the way the trail was captured by Benna, the director. It probably helps that he thru hiked the PCT himself in 2001. If I have any strong criticism of the film is not the film itself but the frequent interruptions for annoying ads. That is not the fault of the film. I encourage anyone to spend the hour and a quarter watching ‘The Runner’. One needn’t be a runner to appreciate this movie. For me, I have to admit to appreciating Horton the person for his acknowledgement of what we see, feel, and experience on the PCT and ‘...that we need people’. People to share these experiences with and to whether we run it or walk it.
In our five CLIF bar rating system I would give ‘The Runner a solid 5. You may not agree as I admit to identifying with the Horton’s emotions. Even though I will never run the PCT I can relate to his experience deeply. I would like to meet him on the trail or anywhere for that matter. Take a look at ‘The Runner’, here is a link: https://youtu.be/wNkX0Pf2w5A
David Horton penned one of the stories included in The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader: California about running out of food as he ran the trail in the northern Sierra. I met Horton in Portland at a gathering of PCT faithful not many years after his thru-run and convinced him to contribute to our anthologies. At the time, his accomplishment seemed quite amazing . . . and it still is although his record has been significantly trimmed by a number of amazing hikers. RH
