Paul and Louie are both running to avoid difficult situations in their lives: Paul is grieving the death of his father in a car crash; Louie is frustrated that he and his younger siblings have been sent to live with different foster families. Both boys run along the trails near their northern BC homes and are joined by Annie, a younger girl who dresses all in black and has a few secrets of her own. The trio become fast friends and concoct a way to show up their high school cross-country team (where the coach is secretly doping selected runners) by racing in a provincial tournament in Vancouver.