Movie Review: Run Free – The True Story of Caballo Blanco

If you, like so many other runners, enjoyed Christopher McDougall’s “Born to Run,” you will enjoy the documentary “Run Free.” The movie adds great visuals to the storytelling. You get to see footage of Micah True, “Caballo Blanco,” before he passed away. You see the trails of Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara people. You see the various characters of the book in film.

I contributed to the Kickstarter campaign to help fund the production of the documentary. One of my rewards was receiving a copy of the DVD. We also received an early release viewing online at Vimeo. Additionally, I received a very cool t-shirt with the Run Free logo on it. I have to say, this has been one of my better Kickstarter experiences.

The movie includes various interviews of people associated with different phases of Micah True’s life, from his pre-Mexico days to the end of his life. You also get Micah himself talking about running, the race, and some of his personal philosophies. I really appreciated his minimal and happy approach to life. You see the emotions he displays on various topics, which you can’t quite fully obtain in the book.

It is also fascinating to see the beautiful trails of Copper Canyon. You can see why Micah True fell in love with this place. You can see the people, the Raramuri runners, and their spirit of Korima (sharing). Many runners talk about the culture of running and it is special to see a people embody so many of those aspects.

Sure, there’s a Hollywood movie coming out based on the book and starring Matthew McConaughey. For me, I appreciated seeing the actual people and places, rather than Hollywood’s dramatization.

I’m not sure when the film will be available for wider distribution, but if you enjoyed the book, you will appreciate this documentary.