THE RUNNER

A true underdog story about a reclusive runner who is past his prime. Muri Rara lives a quiet and solitary life and has become a reflection of the city's forgotten past. Working as a fry cook at a popular greasy spoon, running long distances and caring for the city's stray animals is his daily regimine. His routine is abruptly broken when his life collides with his alcoholic neighbor Debra and her daughter Leigh when they get evicted from their apartment. Debra and Leigh have been on the run from an abusive man for several years and have survived by living on the fringe of society with its many outcasts. Things come to a head when Leigh is abandoned by her mother and is thrust into the hands of Muri who reluctantly becomes Leigh’s caretaker. Complications arise when Muri realizes that he too must live in hiding if he is to protect Leigh from her abusive father. Muri sets his eyes on winning the city's international marathon and must run the race of his life in order to have a chance of saving this little girl's future.