Running from Cleveland to Columbus

By John Kennedy

“If you can run 143 miles to Columbus, you can certainly write a book about it!” Marybeth Keeler

In the early morning hours of Friday, September 28, 2018, I walked out my home in Aurora, Ohio and looked out into my yard, still wet with morning dew. Getting up early for a long run was nothing out of the ordinary for me. By this time, I had several 100 mile races under my belt, including the renowned Leadville 100 mile trail race high up in the Colorado Rockies and Ohio’s Burning River 100 mile trail run.

But this was different in scope, scale, and impact. My goal — run 143 miles, make it to Columbus by Saturday evening, and deliver hundreds of signed petitions urging state lawmakers to put an end to the skyrocketing cost of insulin by capping monthly out of pocket costs to $35. This documentary is about that 143 mile journey and the inspiring people I met along the way.

“Insulin belongs to the world, not to me.” Dr. Frederick Banting

This film is the work of a great team of human beings, people who believe as strongly as I do that access to insulin is a human right, and no one should be forced to ration their supply because of cost. Dr. Frederick Banting invented insulin more than 100 years ago. He went on to patent it for $1, saying at the time, “Insulin belongs to the world, not to me.”

Subject of Documentary

I stand with Dr. Banting. Something that costs $3 a vial to produce should never retail for $200-$300 a vial it sometimes sells for. For diabetics like me, insulin is our oxygen; without it, we die. This film is dedicated to those living with diabetes across our great state and nation, and those we have lost way too soon due to exorbitant cost. 143 was produced by Lowell A. Meyer and Kara Durrett; filmed by Lowell A. Meyer, Kara Durrett, Kantú Lentz and Alex Fischer; edited by Mari Walker and Logan George.

The Heart of 143

But none of this would have been possible without Marybeth Keeler, my wife. She is the literal heart of 143, and after you watch it, you’ll know why. She kept me fed, monitored my blood sugars, and changed out my insulin and bloodied bandages. But even more impressive: she ran 32 miles alongside me as we made our way up and down the hills stretching along the Mohican river. She made what would have been the darkest, loneliest stretch of the run the most memorable.

A final note sure to make Marybeth chuckle — A book, long in the works, is coming in 2027. “If you can run 143 miles to Columbus, you can certainly write a book about it!”