One of the best movies of 1994, Forrest Gump was one of the very few commercially successful movies about running because it wasn’t the hottest concept on which the movie was based. But why they might not be as successful is probably because many movies about running follow a similar format in that most of them are biopics about real life athletes who achieved great things and the movies are generally uplifting And full of fantastic ideas.
However, the highest-rated running movies on IMDb are those that break away from the clichés and tropes of sports movies. Whether it’s a story about a man who unknowingly influences historical events or a German thriller about a woman who has to go on a run to save her boyfriend, the best running movies are the ones that challenge the sports genre.
Fat Man Run (2007) – 6.6
“Fat Run” is probably the best movie about running for general audiences, as all the other movies tend to be pretty serious biopics with little to no humor, this one stars Simon Pegg and even Stephen Merchant Starring, this is one of his best roles.
Fat Run is unique in the genre in that it doesn’t follow any athletes or professional runners, but instead sees an overweight security guard trying to improve himself. What’s even more interesting is that when the character ran the London Marathon, it actually wasn’t that successful because he suffered a lot of injuries and was the last one to cross the line.
Competition (2016) – 7.1
“Race,” the latest running movie to be released, tells the story of real-life athlete Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics.
The film had a tiny budget and little was known about it by the general audience, but it had an incredible cast, including Jason Sudeikis and Jeremy Irons. Although it didn’t receive the best reviews from critics, audiences preferred it because all sports movie tropes were hit hard, even though it took some extreme liberties with real-life events.
No Limits (1998) – 7.2
More of a biopic than any other running movie, telling the story of runner Steve Prefontaine from the beginning of his career as a young man to his death in a car crash, “Nothing” “Extreme” is a touching drama film.
The film focuses more on his relationship with mentor and coach Bill Bowerman. But what this film does better than others is how brilliantly it portrays the growing pressure that young people have to endure and what’s expected of them.
Chariots of Fire (1981) – 7.2
Chariots of Fire has a surprisingly low rating on IMDb, as it is generally regarded as one of the greatest British films of all time. It wasn’t just a matter of running, it was also a matter of people of different religious faiths putting aside their differences, as Jews and devout Christians were the two biggest rivals at the 1924 Olympics.
Like so many movies out now, it’s somewhat unfairly overlooked, and it’s one of the forgotten Oscar winners of the past few decades.
St. Ralph (2004) – 7.4
Although not one of the most popular movies in the world, “Saint Ralph” is a sleeper film even among films that are extremely niche and have very few releases. It has a strange plot, as it follows the eponymous character who believes that by winning the 1954 Boston Marathon, his mother will wake up from a coma.
The film may be a little too dramatic for some viewers, but it’s hilarious from the start.
McFarland, USA (2015) – 7.4
Kevin Costner is at the center of many sports movies, and the ending of this film is unsurprisingly inspiring. Whether it’s the cast, the inspiring message, or the fact that it’s based on a true story (telling the story of the 1987 McFarland cross country team), this movie has everything audiences have come to expect from Disney.
But no matter how predictable it is, it’s one of the best sports movies the studio has ever produced.
The Edge (1986) – 7.4
One of the most uplifting movies of the 1970s, “On The Edge” tells the story of 44-year-old Wes Holman, who after decades of isolation from society returns to his hometown to participate in America’s oldest… The story of the game. Similar to Forrest Gump, the odds were stacked against him after he berated those who made illegal payments to athletes participating in the competition, and it was an uphill battle in many ways.
Race organizers tried to stop him at every opportunity, even during the race, but after 7.5 miles, Holman was victorious.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) – 7.6
As the oldest film in the genre, this film isn’t just about running, it’s also a political story that sheds light on the class divisions in Britain at the time. “The Loneliness of the Distance Runner” tells the story of a criminal who is sent to a juvenile detention center for robbing a bakery but is given special privileges as a long-distance runner.
He is allowed to run outside while the other prisoners have to stay inside, depicting the way in which the upper classes in society gain more privileges while the lower classes can only stand by and watch.
Run Laura (1998) – 7.6
Run Lola Run doesn’t get the credit it deserves because it’s one of those indie masterpieces that moviegoers may not have seen because it’s been so overlooked. The film is obviously about running, but not in the traditional sense, since it’s a thriller in which the protagonist must earn 100,000 DM in 20 minutes.
In this movie, Lola appears in three different timelines, as the slightest differences in each timeline can drastically change the final outcome.
Forrest Gump (1994) – 8.8
If fans have learned anything from Forrest Gump, it’s that people should do what they love, and Forrest Gump does just that. The Oscar-winning film is about so many things that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it’s about, but the first thing fans think of is running.
Forrest ran so fast that he broke free of his leg braces and continued running across the country, with everyone following in his footsteps, quite literally. With the time span spanning decades, the characters superimposed onto historical events, and the feel-good nature, this is not only the best movie, but one of the greatest movies ever made.