Watch running documentary ‘Skid Row Marathon’ across the UK on May 9

New documentary Skid Row Marathon is screening at 111 cinemas across the UK on Wednesday May 9 – for one night only.

The remarkable film charts the experiences of a running group made up of homeless people from the notorious Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, who are brought together by Superior Court Judge and running enthusiast, Craig Mitchell.

Judge Mitchell founded the group in 2011 after visiting the Midnight Mission in Los Angeles, which supports some of the estimated 4,500 homeless people in Skid Row (an area of less than five square miles).

“I knew running was an important part of my own life. It created balance, it created an opportunity for me to engage in meaningful reflection on a regular basis, it contributed to a healthy lifestyle,” says Judge Mitchell.

“I thought all those things would be a positive to the people who were in recovery and trying to maintain their sobriety.”

The new film, produced and directed by Gabi and Mark Hayes, follows the group over a number of years and shows how the simple act of running together, as a community, can reap remarkable results. Judge Mitchell joins the residents of the Midnight Mission shelter in Skid Row three mornings each week – starting as early as at 5.45am on Mondays and Thursdays – as they take positive strides to change their lives.

“The film was very important for our participants because it conveyed to them that their lives are worth chronicling, they have a story that other people need to hear,” says Judge Mitchell.

“Oftentimes, we try to avoid looking at people who are homeless or addicted to drugs. We don’t want to know their stories. The film provided the exact opposite.”

The Big Issue is proud to be a media partner for Skid Row Marathon. Look out for more about Skid Row Marathon – including updates on how the participants have fared since the cameras stopped rolling and an extended interview with Judge Craig Mitchell – in next week’s magazine.

• Find your nearest screening of Skid Row Marathonhere.
• To register for information about future screenings of Skid Row Marathon, email: hello@cinevents.co.uk