Best Movies About Running on Netflix

There are tons of different genres on Netflix that cover everything from comedy, drama, romance, action, and more. And while running isn’t a category itself, there are lots of running movies on Netflix to watch if that piques your interest.

That’s why in the following article we’re going to cover the best running movies on Netflix so you can spend a weekend watching all the inspiring stories to get that second wind you’ve been looking for.

Each movie below will contain a link to the IMDB page, but keep in mind that not every movie will be available in your region since Netflix has contracts with the production companies by country. But it’s worth searching for each of these since they’re all fantastic movies about running.

So with that said, let’s jump into our first movie.

I Am Bolt

If you’re interested in running, then I Am Bolt is the movie for you. It’s a documentary about the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt. And it’s a fantastic showcase that covers everything about Usain Bolt, but is mainly focused on his journey in the 2016 Rio Olympics as he competes for gold in the 100m and 200m races.

The world knows Usain Bolt, but what they don’t know is the specifics of his life, his methods, and his journey during the Olympics.

This documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look and is a great way to spend almost 2 hours for anyone who is interested in running or has the Olympics in their sight in the future.

It also features cameos from tons of other famous athletes, including Serena Williams, Pele, Neymar, and another world famous sprinter, Justin Gatlin.

And if you’re more of a trailer person, here is the trailer for I Am Bolt.

But if documentaries aren’t for you, then let’s jump into our next movie.

1 Mile to You

1 Mile to You is a drama and romance movie focused on Kevin who loses his girlfriend in a tragic accident and runs to chase the memory of her. And his intense focus leads him to notoriety with a new coach and the interest of a new girl who’s trying to figure out what’s going on his head.

It is a drama and romantic movie, but running is the central theme, so it captures the interest of a wide range of audiences.

It’s a great way to spend an afternoon or week night watching a movie with solid reviews and an IMDB rating of 6.3 The cast is fairly unknown, but the story is the real driver of this movie.

If you’re looking for a great running story with a romantic and dramatic tone, then 1 Mile To You is a top pick.

If you want to watch the trailer for 1 Mile To You, check it out here.

Talking about dramas, let’s cover one of the most popular dramatic movies of all time.

Forrest Gump

While not a movie solely focused on running, anyone interested in running will get a kick of a few different scenes in Forrest Gump. Often hailed as one of the greatest movies of all time, this movie stars Tom Hanks as Forrest with a number of other famous actors, including Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, and Haley Joel Osment.

It stars Forrest Gump as he navigates life throughout some of the most popular events of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. While he only has an IQ of 75, his strong spirit and desire to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart is a story for the ages.

It likely won’t scratch that itch to watch a movie about running, but if you haven’t seen it or it’s been a while, a renewed watch of Forrest Gump is just good for the soul.

And it could just inspire you to go for a longer run than you normally would. Just make sure it’s not a 6 month sprint.

And here’s the trailer for Forrest Gump.

If rewatching Forrest Gump isn’t your thing, then lets talk about Made to Be Broken.

Karl Meltzer: Made to Be Broken

Karl Meltzer is an ultra marathoner who has one dream, which is to set a new speed record for completing the Appalachian Trail. This documentary covers his third and final attempt to run the 2,188 mile path in less than 46 days, 8 hours, and 6 minutes.

It’s an amazing documentary created and sponsored by Red Bull as it covers one of the greatest feats of human athleticism. If you’re looking for inspiration and a movie about running, then Made to Be Broken is for you.

Like most documentaries that cover some of the greatest feats of human strength, Karl has a support team of experts behind him, but once he’s on the trail it’s really just his desire to go down in the history books.

And at just 42 minutes long, you have no excuse to not watch it today.

And here’s the trailer for Karl Meltzer’s, Made to Be Broken.

But if that still doesn’t pique your interest, then let’s talk about The Barkley Marathons.

The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young

The Barkley Marathons is an extremely interesting documentary about an odd race that was inspired by a prison break, but the most interesting fact is that in the 25 years the race has been in existence, only 10 people have ever finished.

If that’s not enough to get you interested, there’s not much more we can do here. But in all seriousness, The Barkley Marathons is definitely worth the 1 hour and 29 minutes it takes to watch just because it’s so unique.

It’s hard to explain the full effect of this movie without watching it, but it conveys the difficulties and uniqueness of one of the hardest races in the world, while being very funny at the same time.

If you have the time, The Barkley Marathons should be on your list of movies to watch this week.

Here’s the trailer for The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young.

And if you’ve made it this far and looking for great movies about running on Netflix, then look n further than Gun Runners.

Gun Runners

While this movie isn’t about gun runners, it features both guns and running, so it’s appropriately named. Gun Runners is a movie about 2 men from Kenya who gives up guns to focus on and chase a dream of being a Kenyan marathon runner.

Everyone knows that Kenya consistently provides some of the best marathon runners in the world and this documentary explores a unique side of some of those stories.

It’s a documentary that tells a great story of running, but most importantly the resilience and drive of the human spirit. If you haven’t seen it yet and looking for a movie about running and the human drive, definitely check out Gun Runners.

Here’s the trailer for Gun Runners from the Canadian Academy:

And finally, let’s cover 4 Minute Mile, another great movie about running.

4 Minute Mile

While we’ve highlighted a lot of documentaries thus far, 4 Minute Mile is a fictional drama about a student faced with tragedy. The student has tremendous athletic ability and a former track coach as a mentor who decides to train the young kid.

Ultimately this is one of those movies that is inspiring as someone who overcomes obstacles and tragedy to reach their full capabilities. As a fictional story sometimes it’s hard to directly relate and see the true human spirit, but it’s a great movie nonetheless.

If you’re looking for a great fictional drama, then 4 Minute Mile is a great movie to watch.

And here’s the trailer for the movie, 4 Minute Mile:

Conclusion

And there you have it! There’s tons of great movies about running on Netflix and other platforms and we’ve only highlighted just a few great ones here.

But if you were to watch all these movies back to back it would take you a day or two. And you will undoubtedly be inspired to go out for a few long runs after watching each.

Depending on whether you like documentaries, dramas, or anything in between, there should be a movie here for you to enjoy.