“How silly,” I thought to myself. “Why do these elders want to make such fools of themselves? It’s grotesque to watch a man of 101 running a sprint as slowly as a tortoise, and women awkwardly attempting the long jump.”

This was my first impression while beginning to watch a new film entitled “Racing Against the Clock.” Made by Bill Haney, whose company, Uncommon Productions, is based in Waltham, this documentary shows older people from around the country energetically competing in athletic events under the auspices of the National Senior Games Association and USA Track and Field.

Those first impressions of mine, some of them perhaps not without anti-growing-old feelings still lurking in me, soon gave way, first, to respect and then, to admiration for what these late-life athletes are accomplishing. Yes, they may be endowed with physiques extraordinary for their age, but their athletic success is also owing to hard work and single-minded dedication to an ideal.

And they are not as rare as one might think. Across the country some 200,000 elders compete, with 30,000 of them qualifying for tournaments held in each state. For last year’s international competition in Puerto Rico, over 2700 contestants came from 78 countries.

The five women on whom the film focuses have all overcome obstacles that could have stopped them cold. Margaret, age 82, lives in a retirement home where her spirit and enthusiasm for life draw mixed reviews from other residents.

Even her own kids ask: “When are you going to stop this?” But she insists: “It has increased my self-confidence tremendously.” And she considers exercise like this as especially important for women of her generation.

Her doctor has recommended surgery to fuse vertebrae in her back but she has resisted. With surgery, she would have to give up her activities on the track and that, for her, would be a terrible deprivation.

A woman called Phil, who at 57 has an altogether extraordinary physique, competed at last year’s international meet in 10 different track and field events. To watch her do the pole vault with marvelous grace is a memorable event in itself. “Ah, competition, I love it,” says Phil. “I still want to see what I can get out of my body.”

Pat, almost 80, has the medical distinction of being the oldest stem cell transplant recipient ever. She won a gold medal last year at the world championship in Puerto Rico. Her service as an acolyte in her cathedral parish also means much to her and is a sign of how seriously she takes the spiritual life.

At age 50, Jackie qualifies as a relative youth in this group. She grew up on a sharecropper farm in the south, one of 13 children. Years later, as a single mother, she had to overcome homelessness and depression.

By now, however, she has managed to turn around her own life and that of her family. She weeps joyfully as she tells of her children praying for her well-being. As a sprinter, she won a gold medal in the world championship.

And, finally, Leonore, 76, attempts to break the pole vault record. At age 21, we learn, she escaped across the border of East Germany, risking being shot by the guards. To her delight, she succeeds in winning the gold at the Puerto Rico tournament.

Filmmaker Haney skillfully draws viewers into the lives of these five women. Their faces, showing the signs of age as he zeroes in on them, reflect determination to reach the demanding goals they have set for themselves.

While they take competition seriously, these women feel strong bonds of love and compassion with those against whom they compete. They exchange frequent hugs and kisses as they congratulate those who have run, jumped, or hurdled with them.

At the same time, these strivers know how to put failure in perspective. “Not today, too many jumps today,” says Margaret with resignation after falling short of her expectations. “You know right away when it’s no good,” she adds.

Associate producer Debra Longo, in her mid-30s, was at the Puerto Rico events. “You couldn’t help but be impressed,” she says of the entrants. Smilingly she adds: “I want to be like them, but maybe not pole vaulting.”

Bill Haney finds the story’s main value in its potential for inspiring others to discover “the things they can do to add joy to their life.” As he sees it, the five women show how “you can reconstruct your life so as to give yourself pleasure.”

“Racing Against the Clock” has been chosen for the Boston Film Festival. It premieres on September 16th, at 8:30 PM, at the Boston Common Theater. Other showings, probably on television, are planned in the near future. Meanwhile, copies in the DVD format are available for $15 at (781) 647-4470.

Were I a movie critic, I would give this film four bright stars.

Richard Griffin