WORLD Channel, the multicast service with a mission to bring greater diversity to public media audiences through news and documentary programming, will be saluting the Olympic Tokyo Games with the premiere of filmmaker Mike Todd’s Road Runners. The channel will debut the film on Sunday, August 1, at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT as part of WORLD’s acclaimed series Doc World.
Written and directed by Mike Todd, Road Runners follows three students at Spot Valley High School in Montego Bay. Though their day-to-day lives, often marked by poverty and crime, stand in stark contrast to the nearby world-famous vacation resorts, the students – Tyrese, Leyone and Toria – look to their talent as runners to bring pride to their community and a chance to alter the trajectory of their lives. The film also explores their connection to their inspirational and supportive coach, Kerron Grant, who shares his home and his expertise with the teens as they race, train and work to overcome obstacles in the lead up to the country’s most prestigious sporting event, Champs, which sees the country’s best high school runners compete in Kingston. A profile of the students’ individual journeys, the documentary also explores a national culture devoted to track and field resulting in the small island nation consistently dominating the sports globally.
“As people across the world come together to celebrate the skill and dedication of Olympians this summer, WORLD Channel is happy to spotlight Road Runners which showcases the transformative potential of sports in the lives of youth,” said Chris Hastings, executive producer for WORLD Channel at GBH in Boston.
Road Runners will premiere on WORLD Channel and worldchannel.org. The documentary airs as part of season four of Doc WORLD, the weekly series which gives U.S. audiences a passport to the best in international documentaries.
Watch the trailer for Road Runners here.
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