Quarantined? Here Are Our Favorite Movies Featuring Runners


In the mood for a rom-com? Well, this scene from 'Love Actually' features a lovelorn Sam chasing after his one true love. His sprint mechanics need a little work, but we love the effort.

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Quarantined for the immediate future? What better way to relax and let the time pass by -- unless you're working or studying, of course -- then by catching a flick on the couch. 

There are all types of movies which feature runners. There are actual films depicting true-life stories of runners and their stories, and then there are documentaries featuring humans, teams, events and their inspiring tales. Then there are actual movies featuring action stars who just love to run: Think Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Harrison Ford. 

If you're in need of a few options, here are the MileSplit network's favorite picks: 



Movies Featuring Real-Life Stories Of Runners:

Without Limits 

Elevator pitch: The life and times of Steve Prefontaine -- the best version.

Prefontaine

Elevator Pitch: The Jared Leto version.

    Unbroken

    Elevator pitch: The inspiring true story of Louis Zamperini's life.

    Running Brave 

    Elevator pitch: The story of Billy Mills.

    Sprinter

    Elevator pitch: Not everything is always all cozy off the track. This fictional movie puts a young Jamaican sprinter into a few moral dilemmas, of which he has to figure out on his own. 

    Cool Runnings 

    Elevator pitch: What happens when you turn four sprinters into bobsledders? You get a legendary movie.

    Race

    Elevator Pitch: The story of Jesse Owens kicking some Nazi butt.

    McFarland, USA

    Elevator Pitch: A coach with no XC experience leads an underprivileged team to victory -- in more ways than one.

    Stronger

    Elevator Pitch: One man's inspiring journey after the Boston Marathon bombing

    Across The Tracks

    Elevator Pitch: Brad Pitt as a high school distance runner. Wow. (Kudos to Ryan Fenton on the find)

    The Athlete

    Saint Ralph

    Wilma

    Tracktown

    Elevator Pitch: A young woman's dreams of reaching the Olympics, also a quirky love story.

    The Jericho Mile

    Chariots of Fire

    Elevator Pitch:  One of the best running movies ever made. 

    Personal Best

    Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner

    Kicking Bird

    The Games

    The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner

    Overcomer

    Elevator Pitch: Faith-based movie teaching lessons about life.



    Movies Featuring Action Stars Who Just Can't Stop Running:


    Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Also: The Firm, Jerry Maguire, Minority Report, Collateral)

    Elevator Pitch: You ever notice Tom Cruise is running ... a lot in his movies? This is peak Tom Cruise running.

    Forrest Gump 

    Elevator Pitch: Forrest invents ultramarathons.

    The Fugitive

    Elevator Pitch: Harrison Ford has to find out who killed his wife!

    Rocky I - Rocky II - Rocky III - Rocky IV - Rocky V - Rocky Balboa - Creed - Creed 2

    Elevator: A boxer needs to run, am I right? ... also, I can't stop talking about this movie on the podcast.

    The Running Man

    Elevator Pitch: Arnold Schwarzenegger runs for his life ... while others watch on tv.

    Bad Boys

    Elevator Pitch: Will Smith chases bad guys through Miami in an aesthetically pleasing way

    Point Break

    Elevator Pitch: Keanu Reeves chases a bank robber through the streets of Los Angeles -- much like Will, though this movie came out first.

    Home Alone 2

    Elevator Pitch: Kevin gets super woke on would-be criminals.

    Brittany Runs A Marathon

    Elevator Pitch: Brittany does a couch to marathon training plan.

    Run Lola Run

    Elevator Pitch: Lola has to come up with the money after a botched job. 


    Documentaries On Real-Life Runners:

    Endurance

    Elevator pitch: The story of Haile Gebrselassie.

    Running The Sahara

    Elevator pitch: This one is self-explanatory.

    Gun Runners

    Spirit of the Marathon I & II

    The Long Green Line

    Elevator pitch: A movie about York XC legend Joe Newton!

    Transcend

    Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco

    The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young

    Breaking2

    Boston: The Documentary

    Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135