Chariots of Fire Page #2

men don't grow on trees.

STALLARD:

I can't vouch for those times.

Taken with the school alarm clock,

most of them.

Give or take a second,

they're good enough for me.

Have you come across a fellow

called Abrahams? H.M. Abrahams?

He's challenged for the College Dash.

What's so special about that?

It's special because in all of 700 years...

...nobody's ever done it.

What do you do?

[CROWD APPLAUDING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Right, chaps. Thank you. Thank you.

Let it be known that

H.M. Abrahams of Gonville and Caius...

...has formally made challenge

for the College Dash.

[CROWD BOOING AND CHATTERING]

AUBREY:

You show them, Harold.

For those of you not familiar

with the rules, they are as follows.

The challenger will run

the perimeter of the court...

...to and from a fixed point

beneath the clock...

...within the time taken

by the sound clock to strike midday.

A distance traditionally recognized

as one of 188 paces.

MAN 1:
I say, Abrahams, what've you got

on your feet? Rockets?

Challenge will commence

on the stroke of 1.

MAN 2:
Abrahams, you haven't got a chance.

MAN 3:
Do it for Israel.

The challenge will commence

on the stroke of 1.

The challenger must reach his mark

before the stroke of 12.

MAN 4:

Come on, Abrahams, you swank.

[MEN LAUGHING]

Will the challenger

please make himself ready.

[SCATTERED BOOS AND APPLAUSE]

This Abrahams.

What do you know about him?

Repton chap.

Jewish.

His father's a financier in the city.

Financier.

What's that supposed to mean, I wonder?

I imagine he lends money.

Exactly.

What do they say about the son?

Academically sound. Arrogant.

Defensive to the point of pugnacity.

Hmm. As they invariably are.

Yet possessing

a keen sense of duty and loyalty.

Do they say he can run?

Like the wind.

[MEN CHATTERING]

Gentlemen, would you draw back, please.

Away from the course.

Thank you.

Mr. Abrahams, your position, please.

Owing to the absence of any other

challenger, Mr. Abrahams will run alone.

MAN:

Not so, Mr. Starter!

[MEN MURMURING]

Your name and college, sir?

Lindsay. I race beside my friend here.

We challenge in the name

of Repton, Eton, and Caius.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HAROLD:
I didn't know you ran.

- Nor I you.

Some chap tell me about

this over breakfast.

Thought I'd push

you along a bit.

- Delighted.

- Splendid.

Good luck.

Gentlemen, to your marks, if you please.

Now, remember. On the first strike of 12.

[BELL CHIMING]

[CHIMING ENDS]

[CLOCK STRIKING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

MAN 1:

Come on!

MAN 2:

Come on, stay with it.

MAN 3:

Run harder, come on.

MAN 4:

Come on!

STALLARD:

Get those legs working!

AUBREY:

More leg when you stride, keep going.

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