The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

A feature film adapted by the gifted British novelist, Allan Sillito, from his own short story concerning Colin Smith, who commits robbery and is sent to a boy's reformatory. An extradordinary runner, he is chosen to compete in a long distance race against a private school. A win is the warden's obsessive desire. In the training sequences, Colin's loneliness is understood as both literal and metaphorci. Cast: Tom Courtenay, Alex McGowan and Sir Michael Redgrave. Produced and directed by Tony Richardson. Screenplay by Allan Sillitoe based on his story. Music by John Addison.

Tom Courtenay stars as Colin Smith, who is sent to Ruxton Towers, a detention centre for juvenile offenders. Film is shown interspersed with flashbacks showing how Colin came to be incarcerated. Colin is a talented runner, easily able to outrun Ruxton's reigning long-distance runner. He must contend with the jealousy of his fellow inmates over the favouritism shown to him.