In the beginning of the film, a brief overview of the history of the marathon is shown, with footage of dramatic races involving Dorando Pietri, Abebe Bikila and Rod Dixon. Notable marathoners such as Frank Shorter, Dick Beardsley, Alberto Salazar, Grete Waitz, Paula Radcliffe, Joan Benoit-Samuelson, and Kathrine Switzer provide commentary about the sport.
The athlete Gretel Bergmann wins the high jump championships in the United Kingdom. For the Nazi racial laws prevented her continuing her training in Germany, being a Jew, her father had sent her to England, where she could live more safely and continue her sporting career.
My Run tells the true story of two journeys. The first, which began in 1984, opens the film when Terry Hitchcock's wife Sue dies of breast cancer. Only a few days later he loses his job. Suddenly, he finds himself alone with his three young children and no income.
In a small village in Lahat, South Sumatra, an 18-year-old boy named Dapunta (Qausar Harta Yudana) is almost ready to graduate from senior high school; he is known as the Wind Chaser locally because of his running capabilities. He and his mother Dakunta (Wanda Hamidah) want him to go to university, but his father – the leader of a gang of bandits – refuses to allow it. Dapunta decides to go to university no matter what.
A reporter interviews Paan Singh Tomar (played by Irrfan), a dacoit who is in the news for killing 9 people of a community. Answering questions about himself, the story goes in a flashback in year 1950. Paan Singh works in the Army while his wife and mother live in Morena. He surprises his seniors in the Army with his athletic skills. Though he was not interested in sports, he joins the sports division because there were no limits on their diet. Picked for the 5000 metres race's training, he was persuaded to run for the 3000 metre steeplechase by his coach. He participates in the Indian National Games and wins the gold medal in the steeplechase event 7 years in a row. In 1958 he participates in the Asian Games at Tokyo, but couldn't win because of his inability to adjust with the track spikes only given to him in the final event. He felt frustrated when he was not allowed to go the borders to fight in the 1962 and 1965 wars because sportsmen were not allowed to fight in them. In 1967, he participated in the International Military Games and wins the gold medal in the steeplechase.
Tomboyish Ilocano girl Thelma (Maja Salvador) discovers she's got a gift for speed. But while her talent creates new opportunities, it also presents new challenges for her and her family.
Dans un petit village de callabre des annees soixante, Mimi, jeune adolescent, ne pense qu'a une chose: courir, pieds nus a travers la campagne. Il court par plaisir. C'est ainsi qu'il attire l'attention d'un vieux chauffeur de car, Felice qui le prend sous son aile malgre l'opposition de Nicola, le pere de Mimi qui veux que son fils étudie pour avoir une autre vie que la sienne.
Le documentaire suit trois champions encore en activité au moment du tournage, l'Éthiopien Haile Gebreselassie, l'Allemande Heike Drechsler et le Marocain Hicham El Guerrouj. Ils commentent leurs performances, leur passion de leur discipline et de leur pays.
The focus of the film is on the seven runners participating in the Rome Marathon. Shots of the marathon are interspersed with interviews and documentary footage of the runners. Running experts who are not involved directly in the race are also interviewed. The experts include American authors Hal Higdon, Jeff Galloway, John Bingham, and Roger Robinson. American runners Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Nina Kuscsik, Kathrine Switzer, Mary Wittenberg, and Rod Dixon are also interviewed. Italian runners Gelindo Bordin, Orlando Pizzolato, and Stefano Baldini are interviewed, as well as former world record holder, Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, British world-record holder Paula Radcliffe, and Norwegian Grete Waitz.
Franklin Ébagé est un athlète franco-camerounais, coureur du 100 mètres. Après avoir décroché une médaille d'argent aux Jeux olympiques il y a quelques années sur une faute de ses adversaires, sa carrière bat de l'aile. À 34 ans, il est cependant toujours obnubilé par l’envie de briller à n’importe quel prix. Cependant, il n'a plus de sponsors, et ne peut compter que sur le soutien de sa petite-amie Pauline, de son agent Lionel et de son ami Samir...
Sarah, jeune athlète de demi-fond, quitte la maison de sa mère, en banlieue de Québec, pour aller s'entraîner à Montréal dans un club universitaire. Sarah et son ami Antoine se marient dans le but de toucher de meilleurs prêts et bourses du gouvernement. La vie à deux est difficile, car... Sarah préfère la course.
Tchécoslovaquie années 80, Anna, jeune et talentueuse sprinteuse sélectionnée dans l’équipe nationale, s’entraîne pour la qualification aux Jeux Olympiques. Ses entraîneurs lui administrent à son insu des stéroïdes anabolisant. Ses performances s’améliorent spectaculairement mais après un malaise lors de l’entraînement, elle apprend la vérité. Anna décide de poursuivre l’entraînement sans dopants, au risque de ne plus être à niveau, ce qui inquiète sa mère qui voit dans cette qualification aux J.O. l’opportunité pour sa fille de passer derrière le rideau de fer. Après que la jeune sportive finisse derrière lors d’une course, sa mère informe le coach qu’elle ne prend plus de stéroïdes. Ils décident ensemble de lui en injecter secrètement, sous prétexte de lui administrer de simples vitamines.