Best Running Documentaries

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With athletic competitions becoming stricter and athletes faster, every runner should have their own strategies to help them win. You can find some of these tips in documentaries. Here, you can get valuable information why Ethiopian, American, and Kenyan runners excel in certain divisions of athletics. Any avid runner looking for ways to prepare for upcoming races can educate themselves.

Our Top Recommended Running Documentaries

Despite how enjoyable running may be to you, sometimes it can become boring to do the same thing on a daily basis. So whether you are an avid professional runner or doing it for fun, we can help spice up your running session. We provide you with the following list of cool running documentaries that will inspire you and make you a better runner.

1. Marathon Boy

This is an amazing story that features a young boy named Budhia Singh. The talented Budhia was sold by his mother to a drug peddler for eight hundred rupees. A judo training coach Bianchi Das sees his strength to run fast and adopts Budhia Singh. Das rigorously trains and nurture Budhia until he becomes a very competitive athlete. In this documentary, this little Indian boy ran forty-eight marathon races by the age of four. He became a celebrated figure in his country and many admired his endurance and spirit. Budhia Singh’s story of fame saw a downfall when Das was accused of exploiting Budhia’s talent for financial gains. This is the best documentary for the athletes who are at the verge of giving up. It will also inspire and motivate young talented athletes to remain focused.

 

2. Ultramarathon Man

This is a documentary based on 50 marathon races that were conducted in 50 States within a span of 50 days. It is a great documentary that guides athletic teams on how to organize themselves and bring home a triumphant victory. This challenge is organized by an entrepreneur and athlete Dean Karnazes who ran 350 miles in Antarctica. He also narrates about the people whom he met on this journey as an athlete. Moreover, he speaks of other athletes like Amy Dodson who have a great zeal for running despite being diagnosed with cancer. It is an inspirational documentary that will help a runner, especially an independent athlete to develop tactics to keep themselves organized.

 

3. Boston: The Documentary

The documentary is about the chronicles of the 121^st Boston marathon games. It features the Boston race which ended up as a tragedy. The geographical aerial view of where the running takes place is just amazing, not to mention the various events and races that take place. It also gives an outline of those who are in charge of these races, their profiles, and qualifications. Furthermore,

 

4. Desert Runners

The Desert Runners is a story of four runners who participate in a four desert race competitions. They distance that is to be covered is a distance of 250 kilometers in hot deserts which requires great endurance and resilience. Director Jennifer Steinman films the kind of pain these four runners experience in the Atacama, the Gobi, the Sahara and the Antarctica deserts. It is a great movie for runners that feel like giving up due to the hardships they are facing in their running career. Moreover, it boosts their morale to be persistent despite the harsh climatic conditions. It also gives them tips to sail through the conditions.

 

5. Running The Sahara

The director of the documentary Matt Damon narrates the story of Charlie Engle, Kevin Lin, and Ray Zahab as they battle the sandstorms of Sahara desert. Furthermore, the documentary features their experience with the harsh climate, how they faced the people of the Sahara and their adventure. Running The Sahara is an inspiring movie for any runner preparing to go for competitions in places where the climatic conditions are very harsh.

 

6. Town Of Runners

Bekoji town in the highlands of Ethiopia has hit the athletic news headlines because of its popularity in producing some of the world’s best athletes, especially when it comes to long distance races. These athletes include Tirunesh Dibaba, Derartu Tulu, and Kenenisa Bekele. These are known as the Bekoji Greats. These young girls are driven by the inspiration and desire to bring athletic fame to Ethiopia. The documentary stirs-up the hearts of the runners. It also ignites the fire of patriotism and a desire to give back something to your country.

 

7. Running On The Sun: The Badwater 135

The account of the Badwater is described as “the world’s toughest and hardest ultra-marathons” which draw runners from all over the world. The 135-mile trek walk takes place at the Death Valley of Badwater basin in the month of July. The competitors compete without a prize in this terrifying and horrific experience. Furthermore, the only joy that the runners work hard for is to finish the death race. This documentary is a great piece of inspiration for runners who are not looking for a reward but to gain experience in their career. It gives a runner tips to survive even in the hottest conditions.

 

8. The Dipsea Demon

This documentary features the story of Jack Kirk who competed in Dipsea Mountain Races. He participated in 68 competitions consecutively between 1930 and 2002. He was very old when he participated in his last race at the age of 97. His slogan was “you will get old when you stop running”. Although he lived on the foothills of Sierra where there was no running water, Kirk still got his inspiration to live a long life through running. This is a great motivation for talented runners who have a poor background but have great visions of transforming their future. It is also a great documentary for those athletes who think they are too old to participate in races.

 

9. Run For Your Life

This is a story of a Jewish immigrant to New York, Fred Lebow. It is about his determination to run and all the effort that made him an international icon. His contributions to the New York marathon races has left a great impact on New York’s running history. Moreover, “Run For Your Life” is a great documentary that encourages a runner to build his or her character by supporting various races. It is a great documentary that will teach a runner to get on the path of global fame.

 

10. Spirit Of The Marathon

This documentary features six Chicago marathon competitors in the 2005 editions from Illinois. Hard training regimes are shown. Furthermore, the emergence of ITB syndrome is expressly featured too. “Spirit Of The Marathon” gives a newbie runner the confidence to participate in upcoming competitions. It enables them to be resilient and strong despite their hard training.

 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the list of running documentaries will bring out the talent within. By paying attention, you can actualize what you learn from these documentaries to see great results. You don’t always have to be on the road or field running and exercising to learn. Sometimes, documentaries are another great way to get inside information.