‘Run It Out’ is a feature length documentary about Robin Arzon. The film tells one woman’s story of following your dreams; of not allowing the past to ruin your present or your future. It is about having the strength and confidence to make a change; and that change can be as simple as putting on a pair of running shoes and taking to the streets.
The story starts in her hometown of New York and then weaves back and forth between there and Utah, where the backbone of the story takes place. In the biggest challenge of her life so far, Robin commits to running five marathons in five days as part of the MS Run The US relay, in the challenging terrain of the Utah desert.
MS is a charity close to Robin’s heart as her mother Carmen was diagnosed with the disease in 1999. Carmen is an incredible character and a huge inspiration to her daughter.
A native of Cuba, Carmen and her family were given hours to flee during the revolution on one of Castro’s freedom flights, having to make a heartbreaking decision to leave one of her brothers behind. Robin has ‘resilient stock’ tattooed on her side as acknowledgment of just how much her family have suffered and sacrificed in their quest to find a better life.
As the film unfolds you start to discover some of the many reasons Robin has so much motivation and focus and why she is propelled to run such long distances and continually push past her own limits. Running is her meditation, her release, her therapy. It is a way of processing her past – the suicide of her young cousin; her mother’s MS diagnosis; 9/11 and a traumatic situation in New York where she was held hostage and nearly died.
The film is a celebration of running, strong women, family, love, life, friends, New York City and the Bridgerunners. It is about endurance, strength of mind, overcoming adversity and letting go of limiting thoughts. It is an insight into the power of the worldwide Bridge the Gap running community; how they support and inspire each other to surpass their own limits and have as much fun as possible along the way.
Run It Out
Colour / 60mins / Dir: Tara Darby
Editor: Sam Pescott-Frost