Marathon Mom
2026 Denver Jewish Film Festival

Marathon Mom tells the story of Beatie Deutsch, a young mother of five who is racing to fulfill her dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. Beatie defies the stereotypes assigned to Ultra-Orthodox women by the world and mainstream media. She’s young, hip, inspiring, liberated, and a world-class athlete. Most importantly, she’s a woman of faith, proud to share her beliefs and inspire everyone she touches—an inspiration to women of all faiths. 
 
When the COVID epidemic derails Beatie’s qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the trajectory of her career takes an unexpected turn. Over the next three years, she competes in the UK, Berlin, Seville, Kenya, and Tokyo in pursuit of a race time of 2:29:30. We watch her grapple with setbacks, injuries, and psychological challenges, including struggles with body image and an eating disorder. Will the single-minded pursuit of qualifying within the Olympic standard extinguish her joy and passion for what she loves?