If it's a cliché that life is a marathon, it's also true that, for some, life is a marathon. In this enthralling documentary by Anjali Nayar, the two main subjects, Julius Arile and Robert Matanda, used to roam Kenya's Rift Valley with bands of warriors, terrorizing locals and stealing their cattle. But now, because the Valley is also home to some of the world's top marathoners, a government program gives them the opportunity to trade their AK-47s for running shoes. Arile and Matanda are soon training alongside elite long-distance runners in an attempt to qualify for the New York Marathon and a chance for prize money and sponsorship that will pull them and their families out of rural poverty.

It is a testament to Nayar's own endurance as a storyteller that she was able to gain the trust of her subjects and, for over eight years, document the many ups and downs of their lives. In the end, we see them not as "winners" or "losers" but fully formed human beings whose struggles won't be settled on the track.

Anjali Nayar – Director (January 8 only)