It’s easy to celebrate the best of the best, the fastest, the strongest, and the most talented. But there’s something to be said for those who come in last. Those who fight and struggle the entire way through, but still manage to finish. These athletes face physical and mental barriers that their more skilled counterparts have long left behind. And they push past them. That deserves to be celebrated too. And that’s what “Last” is all about.

We open on a group of runners during a half marathon. We’re right in the middle of the crowd, looking at their backs as they run. The camera begins to pull backward through the crowd. Streams of runners pass by us on both sides as spectators cheer.

The camera continues to pull backward. We reach the back of the crowd and see the massive group of runners move farther into the distance. The cheering fades.

We’re pulling back down an empty road now, strewn with trash.

We continue to pull backward down the road. We pass people sweeping up all the empty water cups and spectators beginning to disperse.

We continue moving backward, but begin to pull up and over a lone straggler at the end of the race. We see her back as she runs. She’s struggling, her shirt soaked with sweat and her gait uneven. We cut to her face. She’s tired, but pressing on.

VO: If you look up the word marathon…it will tell you that the first person who ran 26.2 miles died. He died. And he was a runner. You are not a runner…

Music swells. The woman’s expression changes. Her determination is renewed. She will finish this race.

VO: But at the end of this, you will be.

The woman continues to run.

END TAG: Just do it.

[swoosh]