Running Brave
Running Brave is a 1983 Canadian biographical sports drama film that portrays the life of Billy Mills, an Oglala Sioux runner who overcame poverty and discrimination to win the gold medal in the 10,000-meter race at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, an event considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.[1][2] The film stars Robby Benson as Mills and follows his journey from a South Dakota reservation, through academic and athletic challenges at the University of Kansas, to his unexpected triumph against favored competitors from Australia and Morocco.[3] Directed by Donald Shebib under the pseudonym D.S. Everett, it emphasizes Mills' personal struggles, including racial prejudice and self-doubt, while highlighting the motivational role of his heritage and family.[2] Though receiving mixed critical reviews for its dramatic pacing and Benson's performance, the movie accurately captures the essence of Mills' improbable victory, which defied pre-race odds where he was listed as a 1,000-to-1 longshot.[3][4]Historical Basis
Billy Mills' Background and Challenges
Billy Mills was born on June 30, 1938, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, as a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe.[5] His mother, of one-quarter Lakota ancestry, died of complications from tuberculosis and cancer when Mills was eight years old, leaving him in the care of his father and extended family amid pervasive reservation poverty.[6] Five years later, at age twelve, his father—who was three-quarters Lakota—passed away, orphaning Mills and prompting his placement with relatives and eventual institutional care, where he confronted alcoholism, hopelessness, and limited opportunities common to the reservation environment.[6][7] In response to these hardships, Mills channeled his energy into running, initially as a means of physical escape and discipline, while attending the Haskell Institute, a federal boarding school for Native Americans in Lawrence, Kansas.[8] His high school achievements in cross-country and track, including national-level mile times, secured an athletic scholarship to the University of Kansas, where he competed under coach Bill Easton despite facing racial discrimination, such as being excluded from team photographs due to his skin tone and rejection from fraternities over ethnic biases.[9][10] These encounters underscored broader societal prejudices against Native Americans, yet Mills persisted through personal determination, graduating in 1962 with a degree in physical education.[11] Following graduation, Mills commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1962 to 1965 and resuming rigorous training that rebuilt his competitive edge after college setbacks.[12] During this period, he married Pat Krievans, whose emotional support proved instrumental in navigating his internal conflicts over mixed heritage—half Lakota and half white—which fueled a sense of cultural dislocation and self-doubt about belonging in either world.[13] Mills later reflected that societal acceptance of his "white half" contrasted sharply with rejection of his Native identity, reinforcing his reliance on individual resilience rather than external validation to overcome hypoglycaemia, depression, and underestimation as an athlete.[14][11]1964 Olympic Triumph
Billy Mills qualified for the 1964 U.S. Olympic team by finishing second in the 10,000 meters at the Olympic Trials, having ramped up his training to approximately 100 miles per week while serving as a Marine Corps officer.[15] Entering the Tokyo Games as a relative unknown with personal best times lagging behind favorites like Australia's Ron Clarke, Mills was viewed as a long-shot underdog, with his victory later described as one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.[16][17] In the 10,000 meters final on October 14, 1964, under cool and overcast conditions on the red cinder track at the National Stadium, Mills employed a strategy of staying close to the leaders amid a field of nearly 40 runners.[18] With about 200 meters remaining, he surged from sixth place, overtaking Clarke and Mohammed Gammoudi in a dramatic final straightaway to cross the finish line first in 28:24.4, shattering the Olympic record by over three seconds and marking the first U.S. victory in the event.[18][19][20] Mills' success stemmed from rigorous preparation that built endurance, tactical discipline in conserving energy by tracking pacesetters, and mental resilience rooted in personal resolve rather than external expectations.[15][5] He drew inner strength from honoring his Oglala Lakota heritage, incorporating rituals like prayer and symbolic feathers for focus, which sustained him through the race's grueling demands.[21] The win propelled Mills into national prominence, shifting his life toward advocacy while underscoring that his drive prioritized self-validation and cultural pride over acclaim.[22][17]Film Synopsis
Plot Summary
The film opens with Billy Mills as a young Oglala Sioux boy on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, coping with the death of his mother at age eight and later his father, which leaves him orphaned and searching for purpose. He discovers running as an outlet for grief and begins training informally, eventually excelling in high school cross-country competitions and catching the eye of University of Kansas track coach Bill Easton.[23][3] Mills accepts an athletic scholarship to the University of Kansas, where he joins the track team and trains rigorously under Easton, achieving victories such as the 1961 Big Eight Conference championship in the two-mile race. Amid these successes, he grapples with racial discrimination on the predominantly white campus, including derogatory treatment and social isolation, while developing a romantic relationship with Pat, a white student, which draws opposition from her family and his cultural heritage.[24][3][23] Following his college career, Mills enlists in the United States Marine Corps, continuing his distance running training as an officer. He qualifies for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo through the U.S. trials, entering the 10,000-meter event as an underdog. During the race, Mills maintains a mid-pack position before mounting a dramatic late surge to overtake the leaders, securing the gold medal and setting an Olympic record of 28 minutes 24.4 seconds.[2][24][23]