Running Movies

For thousands of years, humans have been into running. There's something fascinating about doing something athletic with just your body. A sport with no equipment, just your feet. Whether you're competing against other runners, or simply trying for your own personal best, running is freeing. And it's such a great metaphor for life, representing challenge, pain, strength, determination, and the spirit of freedom we all seek.

Because of our great interest in running, it's no surprise that Hollywood has tackled the sport so many times. Following are some running movies you might enjoy watching as you train for your marathon (these are not listed in any particular order)...

1. Chariots of Fire (1981). This a running movie classic which tells the story of two runners in the 1924 Olympics, one a devout Scottish Christian and the other a Jewish Englishman.
2. Forrest Gump (1994). Forrest is unable to walk as a child, but finally he's set free and falls in love with Jenny and with running. When Jenny leaves, Forrest sets out on an epic run that lasts 3 years, 2 months, 14 days and 16 hours. Now, if you're hoping to copy Forrest's run, you can see a MapMyRun style analysis of his route HERE.
3. Prefontaine (1997). There are two biographical movies based on running legend Steve Prefontaine. This one is told in a quasi-documentary theme from the point of view of 3-time U.S. Olympian Bill Dellinger played by Ed O'Neill who was an assistant coach of the University of Oregon and Nancy Alleman who was Pre's girlfriend when he died at age 24.
4. Without Limits (1998). The second biographical movie released on the life of Pre, this one is exceptionally well written. Produced by Tom Cruise, this one focuses more on the relationship between Pre and his coach Bill Bowerman (played by Donald Sutherland). The film also touches on the creation of Nike shoes.
5. Saint Ralph (2004). This fictional tale follows 14-year-old Ralph, a Catholic school boy who is seeking a miracle to save his mother's life. Ralph thinks God will give him that miracle if he wins the 1954 Boston Marathon. Although the film is not based on reality, some of the running scenes introduce us to real training methods such as hill repeats, intervals, pacing, race strategy, nutrition, weight training and more. And it has an interesting TNT style connection with the idea of running to save life.
6. Spirit of the Marathon (2007). This documentary is a must see for runners. It follows elite runners as well as common runners as they prepare for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. If you enjoy marathoning at any level, you will enjoy this film.
7. Running on the Sun (2000). This documentary portrays the aches, pains, and extreme challenges of the Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley National Park. The race stretches 135 miles from Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level to Whitney Portal at 8,360 feet high.
8. Transcend (2014). The story of Kenyan marathoner Wesley Korir who won the 2012 Boston Marathon as well as many other marathons. Korir later won a seat in Kenyan Parliament and founded the Kenyan Kids Foundation to help his poverty stricken nation.
9. Running (1979). Starring Michael Douglas, this film was produced during the first running boom in America. It's about a character whose life is falling apart as he struggles to qualify for the Olympic Marathon.
10. Four Minute Mile (2014). Released at the Seattle International Film Festival, this movie focuses on an inner city high schooler who discovers running as an outlet. He connects with a neighbor who is a has-been track coach who recognizes his great potential.
11. Running America (2010). This documentary follows ultrarunners Marshall Ulrich and Charlie Engle as they attempt to set a new speed record for crossing the country on foot in 2008. Running 3,063 miles from San Francisco to New York City, Ulrich makes it in 52.5 days. Throughout the film, we see the many ups and downs and the reality of what it's like to persevere when your body is shutting down.
12. Personal Best (1982). This film showcases a fictional group of female track runners training for the 1980 Olympic trials. The movie earned great praise for its authentic portrayal of women's sports in the early 80s. In the end, the athletes are left with only their "personal best" after the U.S. boycotted the Olympic Games.
13. Marathon Man (1976). Dustin Hoffman plays runner Thomas "Babe" Levy who gets caught up with Nazis and stolen diamonds and must use running power to escape the bad guys in the streets of New York City.
14. Across the Tracks (1991). Long before Brad Pitt was a super star, he played the part of Joe, one of two brothers who use running to reconcile their differences. Set on winning a scholarship to Stanford, he's a good student and high school track star. His brother (played by Ricky Schroder) is a delinquent, but leaves his rebellious life behind when introduced to running.
15. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962). This black and white film tells the story of rebellious tennager Colin who turns to running as a means of emotional and physical escape.
16. Run For Your Life (2008). This touching documentary tells the story of Fred Lebow who helped grow the New York City Marathon from 55 finishers in 1970 to one of the world's largest races. From his beginning as an immigrant to a marathon runner to president of the New York City Road Runners, Lebow made his mark on the running community. He died in 1994 of brain cancer.
17. The Jericho Mile (1979). This Emmy award winning television film tells the story of Larry Murphy, a man serving a life sentence at Folsom Prison for shooting his father. He spends his free time at the prison running. A track is built at the prison and Larry ends up running a faster mile than the Olympic runner.
18. Running Brave (1983). This film is based on the story of Billy Mills, the second Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. His 1964 victory in the 10,000 meter run is considered one of the greatest upsets in track history.
19. Endurance (1999).  Ethiopian Olympic champion Haile Gebresalssie plays himself in this Disney produced film which tells the story of his growing up in rural Ethiopia. His father, brother and wife all play themselves in the movie which recreates the events that led to his 1996 Olympic victory in Atlanta. There is some great running footage in the film which does not include Geb's 10,000 meter victory at the 2000 Olympics or his two marathon world racords, but it does an amazing job of sharing his story.
20. Jim Ryun: America's Greatest Miler (1999). This documentary tells the story of Jim Ryun's becoming the first high school runner in the world to run a sub 4 minute mile. His 3:55.3 record lasted for 36 years. The film even includes exclusive footage of Ryun setting the record at the Kansas state championships.

There are many more films about running. What are some of your favorite running movies?