Every year, on the first day of May, one hundred teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as the long walk. Among this year's boys is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty. He knows the rules. Warnings are issued if you fall under speed, stumble, or sit down. After three warnings you get a ticket. And what happens then serves as a chilling reminder that there can be only one winner...the one that survives the long walk.