RUN: The Athlete Refugee Team Story
The human spirit transcends limits. Our new documentary film tells the Athlete Refugee Team's story as they chase the Olympic dream, hope and a better future. Discover just how much sport can change lives.
Discover a tale of unrelenting human spirit, beyond limits. Find out just how much sport can change lives in our new documentary film RUN.
Historically, they've known only how to run for their lives. Now they run for hope. RUN tells a story of unwavering human spirit, empowerment and fearless bravery as refugee athletes from the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Morocco come together to represent more than 70 million forcibly displaced people around the world.
Filmed over three years and three continents, our new feature-length documentary RUN follows legendary Kenyan athlete, Tegla Loroupe, as she mentors a small group of talented athlete refugees on their arduous road to the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
They've suffered trauma on an unimaginable scale and trained barefoot on dust-filled roads or in their own backyards as residents of the UN refugee camps, prior to being scouted.
"Whether African, refugees or whatever, we are all one. It’s not about representing any country; this is for all refugees. In sport, we are all one people: athletes" - Gai Nyang
South Sudanese, Somalian, Congolese and Ethiopian make up the majority of refugee team's original nationalities, yet they all fly under a united banner “as one” representing at heart the human spirit they hold as their mantra "We are all one".
Fleeing war and persecution, these athletes now are given the chance to focus on their sports and show the world all they are capable of. In 2017, On presented the first official ART uniform ahead of the IAAF Athletics World Championships. This kit is now the symbol of the Athlete Refugee Team, giving them their own identity at events leading up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Read more about the success of these athletes
Refugee runner Tachlowini Gabriyesos in top 20 at Tokyo 2020 marathon: "Everything is possible", Olympics 8 August 2021
Athlete Refugee Team: He runs 170km a week for the millions who, like him, left home in search of a better life, CNN, 20 June 2020
Tegla Loroupe: Creating Olympic dreams for displaced sportspeople through the Athlete Refugee Team, The Times, 19 June 2020
'Athlete refugees Lokinyomo and Lokoro finish 1-2 in Geneva 10km', IAAF Online, 13 May 2019
'Mohammed and Nait-Hammou ready for their Athlete Refugee Team debut', IAAF Online, 29 March 2019
'Next Stop for Athlete Refugee Team: Valencia and their World Half Marathon Championships Debut', IAAF Online, 24 March 2019
Meet the first refugee squad at the World Athletics Championships, Evening Standard Online, 10 August 2017
'We are all one': the refugee team at the London 2017 world championships, The Guardian Online, 9 August 2017