A trailblazing documentary on B.C. ultrarunner Darius Sam and his 100-mile journey
A powerful story about a Canadian Indigenous ultrarunner who uses running to fight his struggles with depression, insecurity and suicide to make a difference in his community
On Monday, The New Yorker released a short documentary film on a Canadian runner whose story of resilience echoes through the ultrarunning community. The Runner follows the 100-mile journey of Indigenous ultrarunner Darius Sam who set a goal to run this distance to fight against mental health and raise awareness.
While running is a physical sport, all runners know that the mental side can often be the most challenging. For Sam, running is his escape, and the only way to manage self-doubt. In 2020, the uncoached and inexperienced runner challenged himself to run 100 miles to raise awareness for mental health and to inspire those who may be suffering.
In the film, Sam, 22, is outspoken about his struggles growing up and finding a sense of belonging. Having lost his mother to addiction when he was a young child, he struggles with issues of trust, depression and insecurity, and battled suicidal thoughts.
In spite of his struggle, in 2021, Sam became the youngest man to complete the Moab 240, a 240.3-mile footrace through some of Utah’s most stunning and challenging terrain.
Since starting his running journey in 2019, Sam has raised more than $150,000 for mental health in his community.
The documentary was released on YouTube to coincide with Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 10.
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