Sean, a gifted runner, inherited only one thing from his mother, a mysterious carved amulet with three haunting faces. He doesn't understand why, but when he carries it, he runs faster and feels closer to his unknown ancestors. His girlfriend's grandmother fears the amulet is an omen of evil from the ancient Navajo enemies, the Anasazi, and pleads with him to "put it back" in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, but Sean cannot bring himself to part with it. Instead, he straps the amulet to himself and, with the help of his retired high school running coach, begins to train in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for an audacious attempt at making history - but what he discovers and achieves is bigger than anything he ever imagined.