import re
thestring = '''----------
FT Weekend
----------
Why do we run marathons?
Are marathons and cycling races about more than exercise? What does the
literature of endurance tell us about our thirst for self-imposed hardship?
'''
pattern = r"(?s)\s *-+\n .+?\n -+\s *"
print re .sub ( pattern, '' , thestring)
aW1wb3J0IHJlCnRoZXN0cmluZyA9ICcnJy0tLS0tLS0tLS0KCkZUIFdlZWtlbmQKCi0tLS0tLS0tLS0KCldoeSBkbyB3ZSBydW4gbWFyYXRob25zPwpBcmUgbWFyYXRob25zIGFuZCBjeWNsaW5nIHJhY2VzIGFib3V0IG1vcmUgdGhhbiBleGVyY2lzZT8gV2hhdCBkb2VzIHRoZSAKbGl0ZXJhdHVyZSBvZiBlbmR1cmFuY2UgdGVsbCB1cyBhYm91dCBvdXIgdGhpcnN0IGZvciBzZWxmLWltcG9zZWQgaGFyZHNoaXA/IAonJycKcGF0dGVybiA9IHIiKD9zKVxzKi0rXG4uKz9cbi0rXHMqIgpwcmludCByZS5zdWIocGF0dGVybiwgJycsIHRoZXN0cmluZyk=