On September 13, 1970, at the first edition of the most famous race in the world, 127 participated and Fred Lebow, firefighter, arrived first. In 1976 in the initial scene of the film “Il Marathoneta”, the protagonist went through Central Park: thus became an indispensable appointment for thousands of runners
A slippery sweatshirt and the sucking trousers full of ratoppi, the Adidas Rom almost teasing on the feet, Babe runs, inside Central Park, fixing a distant, indistinct point, in front of it. If too much further or not, it depends on him. Perhaps for this reason, every day he meticulously notes the times of his training, he endures the teases of those who exceed him, pretended not to feel the tenders around his neighbors, who when they see him return they call him scemo. Why does he do it, babe? Because in doing so he is already telling something; Because all those who run, regardless of the distance, rather than from one point to another they range from one first to one after and this already contains a narrative act in itself. Anyone who runs, in fact, tells himself something in the meantime, sometimes even in order not to think about everything else. Babe in fact does not seem only concentrated, or understandably fatigued: babe also appears tense, anguished by something that the sweat streams that descend from the forehead are unable to wash away from its expression, when the camera holds on its first floor.