istock/Choreograph (Konstantin Yuganov)

If there’s one thing we love almost as much as running, it’s watching films about running. Some will inspire you, some will make you cry and some will make you laugh. Whether you’re on a rest day, tapering before race day or need something to entertain you on the treadmill, here’s our pick on the best films and documentaries about running.

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Top 11 films about running

1. Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Based on a true story, this film is about a woman who realises she needs to make a change in her life and get healthier, so she decides to train for a marathon. It’s a story we can relate to all too well, and that’s what’s great about this film. It shows marathon training and all the setbacks you can encounter but also magic of finding a love of running. Throw in a good dose of self-love inspiration and this film will have you reaching for your trainers and downloading a your first marathon plan.

Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes.

2. Run Fatboy Run (2007)

Some runners don’t get the bug by wanting to enjoy the health benefits of running or spend more time in nature; some, like Simon Pegg’s character, are simply trying to win a bet and win back their ex (played by Thandiwe Newton – yes, it’s an unlikely pairing). If you can look past the name, and the dubious route that Pegg’s marathon takes through London, it’s a fun film. Plus, a little known fact about this film – it’s directed by David Schwimmer.

Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes.

3. Forrest Gump (1994)

No list would be complete without the film which inspired a million race day heckles of ‘run Forrest, run’. Forrest Gump isn’t about running as much as it’s about a man who just happens to run, and it traces a period of American history through his life. Running helps Forrest escape bullies as a child, escape enemy fire in Vietnam and escape the grief of his mother’s death.

Duration: 2 hours 22 minutes.

4. Tracktown (2016)

Written by, starring and directed by Olympian Alexi Pappas, this film is about every runner’s biggest fear: injury! When Plumb Marigold, a talented runner played by Pappas, twists her ankle while training for the Olympic Trials, she has to do something she’s never done before: take a day off. She discovers a life outside of running.

Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes.

5. Chariots of Fire (1981)

The true story of two British athletes running in the 1924 Olympics, Chariots of Fire explores faith, prejudice and what motivates us to run as it follows the lives of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. The film won four Academy Awards and, of course, produced one of the most epic soundtracks to a running scene of all time.

Duration: 2 hours and 4 minutes

6. McFarland, USA (2015)

Before Ted Lasso became the coach we all wish we had, there was Kevin Costner. Costner plays Jim White who loses his job as an American football coach and moves his family to a new town. At his new school, he turns seven unlikely students into one of the best cross-country teams in the region. Oh, and it’s based on a true story too.

Duration: 2 hours 9 Minutes.

7. The Jericho Mile (1979)

Faced with spending the rest of his life in prison on a first-degree murder charge, Larry “Rain” Murphy starts running around the Folsom Prison running track. When he starts clocking sub-4 minute miles, one of the prison guards takes note and pushes him to train for the Olympics.

Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes.

8. Fast Girls (2012)

Back to the UK for this film that came out while the country was gripped with Olympic fever. Two young women runners from very different social backgrounds become intense rivals on the athletics track. But they’ve got to compete together on one relay team. Can they overcome their differences to work together? Will they drop the baton? Will Wenlock and Mandeville, the 2012 Olympic mascots, have to step in?

Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes.

9. Race (2016)

This biopic of Jesse Owens follows the young athlete to college at Ohio State where his talents are noticed by coaches (look out for Jason Sudeikis AKA Ted Lasso). This film charts Owens’ journey to the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany, the racism he endured and his rise to become one of the greatest of American Olympians.

Duration: 2 hours 14 minutes.

10. 1 Mile to You (2017)

Filled with teenage pain and grief, this film follows Kevin, whose best friends have died in an accident. But Kevin discovers running and finds that, not only is he quite good at it, but it also gives him the perfect way to remember his friends. Billy Crudup plays his coach – a far more interesting relationship than the teen romance dynamic.

Duration: 1 hour 44 minutes.

11. Run Lola Run (1998)

After a phonecall from her boyfriend who has had a bit of a mishap with a big pile of cash, Lola has 20 minutes to raise a lot of money. No, she doesn’t run a marathon asking for sponsorship – but she does run all over the city. It may not be about running as such, but there’s a lot of athletic prowess from the lead and, as we love to see a woman taking centre stage, it’s going on our list.
Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes.

Best running documentaries

12. We Are Here (2026)

Seven Black women, including Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, take on the UTMB race weekend in Chamonix. A powerful film about representation and belonging in trail running. Watch on YouTube.

13. The Finisher: Jasmin Paris and the Barkley Marathons (2025)

An extraordinary account of British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris’s three-year journey to becoming the first woman to finish the notoriously difficult Barkley Marathons. (Watch number 15 first.) Available on YouTube.

14. Run Forever (2016)

A moving portrait of Yorkshire fell runner and breast cancer survivor Nicky Spinks as she attempts the 132-mile Double Bob Graham Round in the Lake District. Available on YouTube.

15. Last Women Standing: The Barkley Marathons (2019)

Nicky Spinks and other female ultrarunners face the punishing terrain and unpredictable conditions of the Barkley Marathons, revealing the determination required just to attempt the event. (Watch number 14 first.) Available on YouTube.

In need of more inspiration? Read our favourite books about running.