Need a boost of motivation to go for a run, get pumped before a race, or get out of a funk? Check out these 10 must-see running movies...
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Chances are pretty good you’re busy. You might even be used to the go-go-go of work, family, and everything else + fitting in your runs and workouts.
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And you rarely press pause to take a break.
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Sound familiar?
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As much as you love to lace up your running shoes and tick off the miles, sometimes it makes sense to kick back and relax.
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🍿And do something totally chill that still supports your running goals...like watching these 10 must-see running movies...
So there’s obviously more than 10 running movies out there.
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🍿There’s a lot. Like running movies about:
Which running movies should you watch? .
Let’s be honest. We’re not trained cinematic experts or credentialed producers, or expert movie reviewers.
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But we do like running and the epic journey every runner discovers when they run their own race.
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🎞️Need a boost of motivation for your next run, race or adventure? Check out these top 10 running movies...
Can you win a race by just being the runner who works the hardest?
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Or does every runner step up to the starting line with their own way of chasing finish lines.
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In this iconic running movie, you’ll meet Great Britain’s team of runners competing in the 1924 Olympics.
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You’ll discover what happens when you run for glory instead of medals and T-shirts.
“How should I run this race?”
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It’s a question University of Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine must have asked legendary Coach Bill Bowerman.
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But Bowerman knew early on, Prefontaine had his own style of racing...
In Prefontaine, you’ll peek into the lives of Bowerman and Prefontaine, watch him push boundaries, break records, and run with more guts than anyone had ever seen.
What would you do if your life was falling apart on all sides (money, relationships, health, and happiness)?
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That’s where 27--year-old Brittany Forgleris finds herself.
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And it isn’t pretty.
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She decides to dig herself out of the funk by training to run the New York City Marathon.
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But the path to the starting line has lots of twists and turns, ups and downs, and a gut-wrenching twist that will make you yell at the screen, “Noooo!”
FYI...you don’t have to be the strongest, fastest, or smartest runner to go the distance.
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But if you wake up every day with the intention to live your best life, you might be surprised by how far you can go.
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It’s a lesson you’ll learn from Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks).
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And who knows, you might even lace up your running shoes, step out the door, and run forever after watching this.
What’s it like to run a marathon?
You’ll meet a mix of runners in Spirit of the Marathon and follow them through the ups and downs of training all the way to the finish line.
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And if you like this, check out Spirit of the Marathon II.
Long before ultrarunning was a popular sport, Tennessee native Lazarus Lake was crushing endless miles.
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He knows every person is capable of the seemingly-impossible.
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And it’s one reason he dreamed up The Barkely Marathon, a 100-plus-mile race that requires:
The Barkley Marathon is so hard, sometimes no one even finishes the race.
What would you do if the cards were stacked against you?
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Give up, drop out, and go home? Or lace up your running shoes, and give it everything you’ve got?
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In McFarland, Coach Jim White (played by Kevin Costner), lands in a poor California town and discovers untapped potential in a group of cross country runners.
If you need a feel-good reminder of what’s possible, watch this movie.
Where’s the hottest place on earth? Death Valley, Calif.
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The highest temperature ever recorded hit 134 degrees F.
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So it makes perfect sense to host an ultramarathon in Death Valley...in July.
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In Running on the Sun, you’ll follow a group of runners training for Badwater 135, also known as the hottest race on earth.
Find out who makes the climb from 282 feet below sea level to the trailhead to Mt. Whitney’s 8,360 above sea level.
Break all the rules.
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Break all the records.
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It’s kind of how Joan Benoit Samuelson opened the door to inspire millions of runners to take on the 26.2-mile marathon.
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She proved it’s possible, bringing home the first U.S. gold medal in the Olympics for winning the marathon.
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As you watch this, you’ll see just how driven she is...even years later.
For years, the 26.2-mile marathon world record stood the test of time...until Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge decided it was finally his time to shine.
In Kipchoge, you’ll follow him on this journey, filled with struggle, self-doubt, and incredible discipline and heart to see if he can achieve the “impossible.”
These are lessons you’re bound to learn from these 10 running movies.
Tell us in the comments.
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