Both protagonists want to win a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics, but for Harold Abrahams winning is everything and he's willing to sacrifice anything to get there, while for Eric Liddell running is simply an extension of his life--another way to honour God. Abrahams sacrifices relationships and the approval of his college in order to win, but when he walks away after his successful race he finds the only things left to live for are the things he was willing to sacrifice.
The focal point of the movie is Eric Liddell's moral dilemma when asked to violate his principles in order to run. He refuses to run on a Sunday and instead has to run a race for which he has not trained, winning it against everyone's expectations. The two successes are starkly contrasted; one showing the power of a life lived for God and the other the emptiness of living for any other purpose.
Alvin's life is completely changed and when war comes he lists himself as a conscientious objector rather than be forced to kill someone. When he is draughted and sent overseas anyway, Alvin finds in the thick of battle that sometimes it's necessary to fight in order to save lives. He becomes a war hero but refuses to capitalise on his fame and returns to Tennessee and a peaceful farming life.
What Christian film makers need are powerful stories like these. They have the resources and ability to tell stories well, now they just need a good story. In the end it isn't the special effects or the amazing actors that make a movie successful. It's a story worth telling.