The Athlete
2009, English. Directed by Rasselas Lakew & Davey Frankel.
Running the streets of Rome in 1960, an unknown, barefooted Ethiopian man stunned the world by winning Olympic gold in the marathon. Overnight, Abebe Bikila became a sports legend. A hero in his own country and to the continent, Bikila was the first African to win a gold medal, and four years later in Tokyo would become the first person in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the marathon.
- Runtime
- 1h 32m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Check local
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Where to watch The Athlete
The Athlete isn’t on a subscription OTT platform in India, but you can watch it free online.
Free
HooplaAvailability in India as of 9 November 2026. Streaming data by JustWatch.
Cast & crew
- Rasselas LakewDirector
- Davey FrankelDirector
- Rasselas LakewAbebe Bikila
- Dag MalmbergOnni
- Ruta GedmintasCharlotte
- Abba Waka Dessalegn. The Priest
- Johnny AshenafiCoach Nega
- Woyneshet BelachewTelephone Operator
- Abebe BikilaHimself (archive footage)
- Arne BoysenGunnar Krogsveen
- Yeneneh EzraEmperor Haile Selassie
- Fekadu GemechuUncle
- Mersha GetahunBartender
- Tigist GurmaMotel Manager
Details
- Released
- 9 March 2009
- Original title
- The athlete
- Country
- Ethiopia, Germany, United States of America
- Written by
- Mikael Awake, Davey Frankel, Rasselas Lakew
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The Athlete: quick answers
Is The Athlete worth watching?
The Athlete doesn’t have enough ratings for a verdict yet.
How long is The Athlete?
The Athlete runs 92 minutes (1h 32m).
Does The Athlete have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for The Athlete. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
The Athlete parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
No age rating is listed for The Athlete yet.
Which OTT platform is The Athlete on?
The Athlete isn’t on a subscription OTT platform in India, but you can watch it free online. (Checked 9 November 2026.)
What movies are like The Athlete?
If you liked The Athlete, try Radium Girls, The Book of Daniel, Julia.
Who directed The Athlete?
The Athlete (2009) was directed by Rasselas Lakew and Davey Frankel and stars Rasselas Lakew, Dag Malmberg, Ruta Gedmintas.