The Definitive 13 Best Running Movies of All Time (2024)

The scientifically chosen and completely unbiased top 13 best running movies of all times!

With so many movie options available across countless platforms, it’s daunting to pick out a decent one. That’s why, to help keep you inspired and entertained, we’ve scoured the internet to find the best running movies for you to binge right now. You’re welcome. It wasn’t easy, but someone had to do it. Our approach was simple; all movies were ranked based on the three score average from top review sites.

So here they are, “the scientifically proven”, top 13 running movies of all time! Grab some popcorn and binge on!

13. PREFONTAINE (1997)

SCORE: 6.7/10

Prefontaine depicts the tragic life and times of legendary runner Steve Prefontaine. This movie highlights his formative beginnings in Coos Bay, Oregon, his running success while at the University of Oregon and his relentless quest for Olympic gold in the 1972 Munich, Olympics. The first Pre movie on the list, and a little grittier of the two, is a solid biopic of the legendary runner.

• Drama/Biography
• Directed by Steve James
• Starring: Jared Leto, R. Lee Ermey, Ed O’Neil

IMDB 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 56% – Audience Rating 78%

12. RACE (2016)

SCORE: 7.0/10

This drama is based on the true story of Jesse Owens, who overcame both physical and racial hurdles to compete at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. The film follows Owens’ early success at Ohio State and his personal struggles in realizing his running goals. Despite discrimination from his white teammates, Owens persists with the help of his track and field coach, Larry Snyder and proves to be an Olympic contender. Faced with a potential US boycott of the 1936 Olympics, and the growing uncertainty of Nazi Germany, Owens’ accolades are nothing short of remarkable!

• Drama/Biography
• Directed by Stephen Hopkins
• Starring: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Eli Goree

IMDB 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 66% – Audience Rating 77%

11. I AM BOLT (2016)

SCORE: 7.2/10

I Am Bolt depicts Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s journey to winning nine Olympic Gold Medals and the undisputed title of the Fastest Man Alive. Bolt’s boisterous on-and-off-the-track exploits make him a true entertainer, while his three world records and Olympic glory make him one of the greatest athletes in history.

• Documentary
• Directed by Benjamin Turner & Gabe Turner
• Starring: Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Pelé

IMDB 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 85% – Audience Rating 61%

10. SAINT RALPH (2005)

SCORE: 7.4/10

Set in 1954, Saint Ralph is a coming of age drama/comedy that follows Ralph, a mischievous ninth-grader, as he’s forced to join his strict Catholic school’s cross country team to help shape up his behavior. At first, Ralph can barely keep up with his teammates, but when his mother falls into a sudden coma, he sets out to perform a miracle, winning the Boston Marathon, as his last hope to help his mom survive.

• Drama/Comedy
• Directed by Michael McGowan
• Starring: Adam Butcher, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Tilly

IMDB 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 64% – Audience Rating 85%

9. THE BARKLEY MARATHONS: THE RACE THAT EATS ITS YOUNG (2014)

SCORE: 7.6/10

In the 25 years of its existence, only ten people have finished The Barkley Marathons, a 100-mile ultra-marathon in Tennessee. The cult-like, insanely difficult race was based on a historic prison escape and has people vying for entry (through a secret application process) to test their limits. The film depicts runners attempting to conquer the unmarked, ever-changing course in under 60 hours, intermixed with commentary from the eccentric race creator Lazarus Lake. If conquered each runner will have climbed and descended twice the height of Mount Everest… talk about intense!

• Documentary
• Directed by Annika Iltis & Timothy James Kane
• Starring: Lazarus Lake

IMDB 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 67% – Audience Rating 84%

8. BOSTON: AN AMERICAN RUNNING STORY (2017)

SCORE: 7.8/10

Depicting the history and legacy of the Boston Marathon, Boston: An American Running Story is narrated by Matt Damon and features interviews from Boston legends. The film glorifies one of the most iconic marathons from the humble beginning of a 15-person race to the first female finishers, through the tragedy in 2013 and the restored triumph in years since. Nearly every runner has a goal of qualifying for Boston, and for those who haven’t, you’ll certainly add it to your bucket list after seeing this documentary.

• Documentary
• Directed by John Dunham
• Starring: Matt Damon, Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson

IMDB 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 56% – Audience Rating 78%

7. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

SCORE: 7.9/10

Chariots of Fire is based on a true story of two men from vastly different lifestyles, vying for track and field glory at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The movie focuses on the personal lives of Eric Liddell, a Christian Scotsman, and Harold Abrahams, a Jewish Englishman, as it intercuts between racing, training and each divergent character’s cultural lifestyle. Chariots of Firewon four Academy Awards when it was released, including Best Picture and Best Original Score for the theme song by Vangelis.

• Drama/Biography
• Directed by: Hugh Hudson
• Starring: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell

IMDB 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 84% – Audience Rating 80%

6. WITHOUT LIMITS (1998)

SCORE: 8.1/10

The 2^nd biopic on the list about the legendary runner Steve Prefontaine follows a similar premise. Without Limits depicts the life of Prefontaine, his relationship with legendary coach Bill Bowerman, and Pre’s quest for Olympic glory in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Can’t decide which Pre movie to watch? The characters in Without Limits feel a little more realized, and the higher production quality helps this Pre film break the tape first! Who’s the better Pre? Now that’s up for debate; both Leto and Crudup give great performances.

• Drama/Biography
• Directed by Robert Towne
• Starring: Billy Crudup, Donald Sutherland, Monica Potter

IMDB 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 79% – Audience Rating 91%

5. McFARLAND, USA (2015)

SCORE: 8.1/10

In McFarland, USAKevin Costner plays Jim White, a high-school football coach who sees his football coaching days as numbered after an incident with a player. He picks up and moves his entire family to a rural, predominantly Latino town in Idaho to find a teaching job. White struggles to fit in. But he sees an opportunity as he watches his students running from their morning farming jobs to school. He channels their talent of running into cross country, as the unlikely squad soon sets their sights on a state championship.

• Drama/Biography
• Directed by Niki Caro
• Starring: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriquez

IMDB 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 81% – Audience Rating 88%

4. BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON (2018)

SCORE: 8.1/10

Most running movies either fall into the drama or documentary category. But Brittany Runs a Marathon, is a pleasant comedic surprise. The film follows Brittany, a mid-20’s party girl, struggling with her weight, finances and toxic friendships as she tries to change her downtrodden outlook through running. Too broke to join a gym and too reluctant to ask for help, Brittany aims to reshape her life with the once-unimaginable goal of running the New York City Marathon.

• Comedy
• Directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo
• Starring: Jillian Bell, Jennifer Dundas, Patch Darragh

IMDB 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 88% – Audience Rating 87%

3. SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON (2007)

SCORE: 8.1/10

Spirit of the Marathon follows six unique stories as each runner prepares for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. This movie highlights the experience of both elite runners (Deena Kastor and Daniel Njenga) and local Chicago participants with varying goals of qualifying for Boston to completing their first marathon. Heralded as the first non-fiction feature film to capture the essence of the iconic distance race, Spirit of the Marathon took four years to make, was filmed on four continents and features commentary by legendary runners Dick Beardsley, Joan Benoit-Samuelson, Bill Rodgers, Paula Radcliffe and Frank Shorter.

• Documentary
• Directed by John Dunham
• Starring: Dick Beardsley, Frank Shorter, Deena Kastor

IMDB 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 88% – Audience Rating 90%

2. RUN LOLA RUN (1999)

SCORE: 8.6/10

Although Run Lola Run isn’t a running movie in the traditional sense, it’s still an important element of the film. In this German thriller, Lola receives a phone call from her mob runner boyfriend who lost $100,000 of the mob’s money and only has 20 minutes to get it back! The film depicts three possible outcomes as Lola attempts to get the money, and it all comes down to racing the clock.

• Drama/Thriller
• Directed by Tom Tykwer
• Starring: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup

IMDB 7.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 93% – Audience Rating 90%

1. ICARUS (2017)

SCORE: 8.9/10

Avid amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel decides to make a documentary about how to get away with doping in endurance sports. At first, he intends to use himself as the test subject to improve his cycling performance and to show how the substances can remain undetectable. But then he meets Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of a Russian anti-doping laboratory, and the story takes a dramatic turn. Fogel soon becomes involved in chronicling one of endurance sport’s greatest doping scandals as details emerge around Russia’s government-sponsored, multi-sport doping program. Icarus premiered as an independent film at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, was later picked up by Netflix, and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2018.

• Documentary/Thriller
• Directed by Bryan Fogel
• Starring: Thomas Bach, Scott Brandt, Don Catlin

IMDB 7.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 94% – Audience Rating 94%

Did you favorite make the list? Share some of your favorite running films in the comments below.