Distance Runners (2009)

Li Shan was an ordinary, active Kunming youth with normal dreams and a bright future ahead of him. His longtime girlfriend, Wenyi, was always at his side. They shared visions of a bright future after graduating college. Then tragedy struck when an accident left him paralyzed. His dreams fell apart and he pushed away all the people he loved. Wenyi waited for him to heal spiritually but finally decided to follow her dreams of becoming a photographer in Shanghai . Then Shan was offered hope through modern surgery. The influential doctor, Alistair Crane, also helps him restore his spirit after the surgery. In conjunction with Eastern medical expert, Linfei, they not only help him to walk again. They give him the strength to go after his dreams. He begins to share Dr. Crane's passion for running. This leads him on a spiritual journey culminating in running a 188km ultra marathon in Yunnan, through some of the toughest terrain imaginable. On the way, while he battles the road, he encounters influential people whose struggles will teach him about life. While former celebrity Josh struggles to overcome his past failures, his biggest competitor Katsuro is toiling to overcome his grief over a lost love and a young runner, Zach, endeavors to hold his family together. He will suffer setbacks along the way but his journey through the race is also a quest to overcome his past and move on to the future and to always follow his dreams. The story addresses the internal and external conflicts of ordinary people pushing themselves to extraordinary limits. Shan's trials and tribulations in love, friendship, and loss have universal appeal. It is a story of facing and coming to terms with the mistakes of your past and moving on. The film's central message of 'following your dreams' also makes it an uplifting and appealing story for anyone who has ever doubted the strength of their spirit.