Documentary on Edwin Moses Blends Science and Athleticism, Premieres Sept. 21

A new documentary exploring how Edwin Moses combined science and athleticism to become the world’s greatest hurdler in the 1980s, and later leveraged his fame to fight for better pay and fairness in sports, will debut on September 21 at his alma mater, Morehouse College.

Moses ran track at Morehouse while on an academic scholarship, and the school later named its track after him. He won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics; the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Games. The film, titled “MOSES – 13 Steps,” references the 13 steps he took between hurdles—at a time when most hurdlers took 14. With a Master’s degree in physics, Moses used scientific methods to determine how he could shave fractions of a second off his race by lengthening his stride and reducing his steps, which also required learning to jump off a different foot—a significant achievement in the highly technical world of track and field.

The documentary uses archival footage and interviews to chronicle Moses’ journey from his childhood to a career that included an unparalleled 122-race winning streak. Beyond his athletic prowess, Moses used his prominence to demand higher appearance fees for track stars and became a vocal critic of the Olympic movement’s drug-fighting policies. He eventually served as the chair of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

“On the track, no one could match him for a decade. Off the track, he left an even greater legacy,” said one of the film’s producers, actor Morgan Freeman.

During the premiere, Moses will be honored with the film festival’s Enlightened Lens Documentary Feature Award and the inaugural humanitarian award named in his honor, recognizing his contributions both on and off the track.