Buckeyes get sneak peek of Jesse Owens movie 'Race'

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

It's been 80 years since Jesse Owens traveled to Nazi Germany and struck a blow against racism while wearing a U.S. track and field singlet.

On Thursday, the Ohio State track and field team took in a preview screening of the new Owens biopic "Race" on Thursday afternoon at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 theater in New York City.

The movie opens to wide release on Feb. 19. The Buckeyes who traveled to compete in the Armory Track Invitational viewed the film and saw the familiar story of OSU’s most iconic athlete refreshed for a new audience.

The early reviews were positive.

“I enjoyed it and I think I speak for the team when I say we enjoyed it,” said All-American hurdler Donovan Robertson.

The story picks up as Owens prepares to leave home to attend Ohio State in 1933 and follows his rise to Olympic glory at the 1936 Berlin Games. It also paints a picture of the racial tensions at home in the U.S. and in Germany under Adolph Hitler's regime.

Ohio State director of track and field Karen Dennis has visited Berlin in person to see the stadium where Owens became an Olympic hero during an unsurpassed four gold medal performance on the track.

“I think the movie left a profound impact on our kids,” Dennis said. “They saw that there was a lot going on behind the scenes, the politics involved, bigotry and racism, and the manner in which he had to live his life due to discrimination. It was stunning to see, and painful, but at the same time it was a powerful reminder of how great a person he was. It was a wonderful experience.”

At Ohio State, Owens broke three world records and tied another in a single afternoon at the 1935 Big Ten Championships. He won four NCAA titles in both 1935 and 1936, establishing a standard of success that Ohio State athletes have emulated for generations.

Owens’ story, even before the movie, is well known by the athletes at Ohio State. Robertson said that while the movie left a few details out, he appreciated the choices that were made in creating the film. In particular, he enjoyed the scene where German long jumper Luz Long goes out of his way with an act of sportsmanship and later befriends Owens.

“They called him the ‘Buckeye Bullet,’” Robertson said. “We can only dream of having a nickname as cool as that.”

In addition to the Ohio State team, a pair of high school essay contest winners brought their high school teammates to the screening. Harvey Ng of Stuyvesant High School and Eliza Paradise of Hunter College High School also earned VIP tickets to the Feb. 20 Millrose Games.