After Ethiopian runner Miruts Yifter won the 10,000-meter distance race in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, thousands of fellow Africans began running with a dream of competing in the world games. Among them was Haile Gebrselassie, who was raised in a one-room mud hut in a family of 12. He ran barefoot every day to school and back — a 12-mile journey. Despite the death of his beloved mother and the disapproval of his father, Haile moved at age 17 to Addis Ababa where he could train with Ethiopia's junior team. In his first marathon, he came in 99th. Spurred on by his indomitable will, his Christian belief in God, and the love of a young woman, Haile practiced even harder. All of his discipline and talent paid off in the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta when he won the Gold Medal in the 10,000-meter distance race.
Endurance is directed by British documentary filmmaker Leslie Woodhead and contains actual footage of Haile Gebrselassie's stunning victory in Atlanta. This very special sports drama pays tribute to the drive, determination, and grace of an African athlete who is now a hero to young black boys around the world. It also registers strongly as a cross-cultural study.