Mile 42 | Script Revolution

Mile 42

Mile 42
When an extreme distance runner encounters a human trafficking ring during a desert ultramarathon,
he must battle both exhaustion and criminals to save innocent lives – and himself.

Picture this, if you will. A tractor trailer sneaks into Arizona in the dead of night. Its cramped cargo: fifty illegal Mexicans. Among the frightened passengers: Carlos and twelve year old son Toraido. The truck encounters unexpected company and makes a run for it. Horns blare. Tires screech. The trailer nose-dives over a ditch… resulting in wreckage, dead bodies, and a few (lucky?) survivors.

Though injured, Carlos and Toraido make it out alive, along with a handful of others. The group splits up – running for their lives, and their freedom. Into drainage tunnels, and the night. For someone is still on their tail. Someone on the wrong side of the law.

…but they’re not the only ones running. You see, an ultra Badlands Marathon is underway. Over one hundred plus miles of grueling desert torture, deadly heat.

Among the competitors is Victor Marquez: Doctor and Army Combat Veteran. Is he undertaking the race for fun? Well, not exactly. More like proving himself, and chasing his inner demons away. He whiles away the miles chatting with fiancé Cynthia on a radio scanner, attempting to keep his mind sharp while his battered body does what it can. At least until he loses the signal. Out of range.

Running may work for personal demons. But other nightmares aren’t as easily chased away. Which is what Victor discovers when he crosses paths with Carlos and Toraido. And someone else… with a rifle.

As bullets fly, Victor is forced to flee with the others, in fear of his life. And finds himself caught between a deadly conspiracy – and an even more deadly desert heat.

A gem of a thriller, Mile 42 is custom made for an experienced indie director looking for that project to take him/her to the next level. Limited location. Tons of action. A three dimensional, sympathetic protagonist who's the marathon equivalent of John "Bruce Willis" McClane.

Mile 42's got a premise that stands out from the cookie cutter crowd. Our recommendation? Grab this one. And run.

The Script

Mile 42

When an extreme distance runner encounters a human trafficking ring during a 100-mile desert ultramarathon, he must battle both exhaustion and the criminals to save the innocents.

About The Reviewer

J.E. Clarke's picture
Real name: 

Known for her unique characters and plots, J.E. Clarke has optioned her feature length horror, "Containment" with Primestar Film Group (director Mike Elliott of Scorpion King 4 attached), her SF feature "Stream" with Purryburry Productions, John Noble of "Fringe" and "Lord of the Rings" attached.  Her fantasy/SF "Evergreen" (cowritten for Adam Zeulhke of Zenoscope Productions), is currently in preproduction, along with Entanglement...Read more

About The Writer

John P. Dowgin's picture
Real name: 

John P. Dowgin is a writer, director, and actor, as well as a co-founding member of the production company ‘The Porch Room’. With that group he co-created the comedy fiction podcast “Mission: Rejected” (@missionrejected on Twitter), which consistently ranks in the top 50 comedy fiction podcasts in the US, UK, Australia, and several other nations (go Moldova!). Also with The Porch Room, John wrote two entries in the one act compilation ‘Accidents Happen’ which was...Read more

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