I recently discovered a documentary on indigenous Australians, Running to America. It’s a remarkable story that has grown into ongoing project supported by the American government and it’s called the Marathon Project. It’s an initiative that has changed the lives of young Aboriginal men and women and has positively impacted their communities, located in the most isolated areas of the Australian outback.

Running to America (GoodOil, 2011) is a documentary about four young men who often ran alone through the red, hard, hot desert sands in the immense open spaces of Australia’s back country, aiming for the wide asphalt avenues of New York City. Now their story repeats itself each year as a new batch of indigenous youth train to run the city’s marathon.

The youth chosen for the project come from lives steeped in social and economic problems of alcohol, drug abuse, dysfunctional family life and unemployment. They train to do the seemingly impossible: running 26 miles with 48,000 others from all over the world.

“I was tired of the disproportionate amount of negative indigenous stories in the media,” the documentary’s filmmaker, New Zealander Matt Long, told me. “I thought it time to balance it out by giving these people a new and positive face.”

Matt Long proposed the idea of training a select group of Aboriginal young people in long distance running to Australian world champion runner, Rob de Castella, although it seemed an impossible dream.

“One of the hardest obstacles for these kids to overcome was the diffidence in their own communities,” Long said. “No one had ever done anything like this before, and generally it’s unacceptable to ‘poke your head above the crowd,’ which means engaging in anything that stands out.

The Federal education Department has now picked up the film to make it part of the curriculum of all state schools, so what was done here will encourage many other young people to have the courage to say: ‘It’s okay for me to stand out… it’s cool!’” Long had to overcome other obstacles to film the project. “Getting funding was a nightmare, since no one wanted to take the risk that these kids would actually cross the finish line.” But believing that “the journey of reaching the goal” was going to make a difference in these young lives, he persevered. Creating such an inspiring documentary has had far-reaching effects; it has captured the hearts of many in Australia.

“Just getting the kids to the training sessions from their remote and inaccessible communities was near to impossible,” explained De Castella.

When the monsoons begin, these villages are completely cut off. “Their concept of nutrition was very poor, so, besides overcoming immense social problem, their physiological needs had to be met in order to follow the rigorous training program.

Most of these kids had never left their local community, and no one had a passport; that would be totally unthinkable! That’s why I am so passionate about what now has become the Marathon project.

“Running is one of the most accessible and simplest of all sports to put in place. Besides the distance they run, it makes them feel good about themselves and has significant benefits in improving their total being.”

The nine-month long journey with these young people was an unforgettable experience for De Castella.

“Meeting the challenges of discipline, the building of self-esteem and introducing them to a beneficial lifestyle was a real feat. The human, emotional and personal growth that these kids have gone through was amazing.

Going to New York City in 2010 began as little ripples in a pond that led to a tsunami! The tools they learned have contributed to the health and social well-being not only for themselves but also for their communities.”

As part of their training they participated in a course in indigenous health, which later on gave them employment opportunities and assists them in improving the health standards of their people.

“I had to keep wiping the tears from my eyes when I saw those guys cross the finish line,” Long said.” It was two years of work with a lot of doubts and trials in between, but the goal was met, and wow it was moving! When we showed the film in Alice Springs, home of two of the boys, everyone cried and laughed. When the finish line was crossed, the audience exploded in rousing applause. It made it all worth it!” Throughout the outback, the runners were welcomed home by hun dreds who turned out to express what their own had accomplished.

Now many other young people aspire to overcome the obstacles in order to go on to make a difference for themselves and their people.

“The Marathon takes you way outside of your comfort zone into a space where you grow and develop important life skills,” Long said. “Those kids were transformed by the belief that they could do so much more than they had ever dreamed possible. It’s this sense of self-worth and accomplishment that they bring back to their communities.”

In 2011 four aboriginal women participated in the Marathon Project for the first time, joining five young men and overcoming injuries, cramps and exhaustion to reach their goal. The project has now expanded to include organized “community fun runs” for the aboriginal communities throughout the country.

A group of inmates in a youth detention center, where 80% of the population is aboriginal, saw the film and was inspired to run too. Officials at the prison contacted De Castella, who with his team set up a training program for them.

“Last October 2011, 33 of these young inmates ran a 26k marathon on a 1.7k track inside the prison walls. It changed the lives of these kids. They have moved from socially dysfunctional behavior to feeling completely different about themselves. We continue to work with these young men, and one who has since been released wants to be part of the project next year.”

What does De Castella think of all that has come about since the first race run in 2010? “This project has captured people’s imagination.

The response from indigenous and non-indigenous Australia has been overwhelming. It’s wonderful to see the recognition of the importance of indigenous culture in Australia. Often we have not given enough value to the gifts and the priorities of this people.”

Mary V. Cass

Mary V. Cass is based in Melbourne, Australia.

(This article was originally published in the Focolare Living City Magazine, USA.)