The 41st Day

When work began on The 41st Day, Ryan Hall was unquestionably the fastest marathoner in America and still young. The film was to follow his training as he prepared for the biggest race of his career, then capture the spectacular moment as he attained Olympic glory. That never happened. Unbeknownst to Ryan, filming began just past the apex of his career. For five years we follow Ryan across continents, for thousands of miles, and through debilitating setbacks. A controversial decision to abandon his coach in favor of a “faith-based” approach, where he would literally list “God” as his coach, led Ryan down a path of complete uncertainty. Yet despite its impact on his career, he never wavered in the importance he placed on religion. Ryan retired in 2016, without returning to his past form. The film became less about the unraveling of an athletic career, and more about a man’s struggles with identity, and his search to reignite a lost passion.