Best Running Documentaries

Binge-watched all of the trending shows on Netflix already? Looking for a documentary that will get you motivated and inspired to RUN?

We have just the cure.

Here are a handful of running documentaries that are guaranteed to have you lacing up your sneaks and heading out for a long run ASAP!

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  1. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. In 35 years, only 15 individuals have finished the race known as the Barkley Marathons. Watch and you’ll see why…
  2. Unbreakable: The Western States 100. Another one for ultrarunning enthusiasts, Unbreakable follows four previously undefeated ultrarunners in their quest to win Western States: Hal Koerner, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, and Kilian Jornet.
  3. Life in A Day. A second doc about Western States, this one focuses on four women– Magdalena Boulet, Kaci Lickteig, Devon Yanko, and Anna Mae Flynn– and their quest for a top ten finish.
  4. Karl Meltzer: Made To Be Broken. Meltzer attempts to break the record for fastest running of the Appalachian Trail from start to finish.
  5. Breaking 2. After six months of scientifically advanced training, three of the world’s most elite distance runners set out to break the two-hour marathon barrier.
  6. The 41st Day. Follow America’s best marathoner, Ryan Hall, in the four years after he drops out of the 2012 Olympics. It’s a tale of athletic and spiritual redemption.
  7. The Source. Get inside the mind of ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter to see how she dominates 200+mile races.
  8. Skid Row Marathon. An L.A. criminal court judge starts a running club on Skid Row, where he trains homeless, addicted, and criminal men and women to run marathons.

And hey, if you prefer a fictional story of runspiration, check this out…you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll want to run the New York City Marathon.

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