Learning to Fly

Aisha McAdams, a former competitive runner turned photographer, embarks on a journey to document the triumphs and struggles of famed ultra trailrunners, including Jim Walmsley and Eszter Csillag. Traveling to mythical races—the Western States Endurance Run in the mountains of eastern California, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in the French Alps—the film marvels at athletes who maintain their intensity as they run 100 miles of mountain trails while climbing thousands of vertical feet. Aisha McAdams, a former competitive runner turned photographer, embarks on a journey to document the triumphs and struggles of famed ultra trailrunners, including Jim Walmsley and Eszter Csillag. Traveling to mythical races—the Western States Endurance Run in the mountains of eastern California, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in the French Alps—the film marvels at athletes who maintain their intensity as they run 100 miles of mountain trails while climbing thousands of vertical feet.