Whether you’re a beginner putting your trainers on for the first time or a seasoned veteran training for their next big race, there’s going to come a time when you don’t feel like going out for a run when you know you really need to.
Don’t worry, a lack of motivation affects us all at some point in our training, it’s just a case of trying our best to find that spark again that will get us up and out of the house.
One of the best things you can do to reignite that spark is to watch a motivational movie. Luckily for us, there are plenty of excellent motivational running movies to choose from.
In this post, we’ll show you the best cross-country running movies, so you have plenty of options to choose from.
If you need that extra bit of motivation, be sure to watch at least one of the following movies!
A tough watch, but one that will get you up to do what you love most, Patriots Day follows the tragic events of April 5th when two bombs were detonated at the Boston Marathon.
While the movie is extremely emotional, it’s also incredibly motivating.
The events of that horrible day, leave you wanting to stand up to terrorism and say “you will not stop us from doing what we love”.
Perfect for inspiring young runners struggling with identity and how the effects of running change, The Miracle of Saint Ralph follows a young adolescent as he battles through a troubling youth while trying to find the focus and direction required to do something great.
Demonstrating how running for something more important than yourself is a wonderful motivation, the story follows the boy on his journey to win the Boston Marathon in order to save his mother.
As long as you keep getting back up after a fall there’s always a chance you’ll succeed.
Easily one of the greatest movies ever made, Chariots of Fire shows how one man’s competitive spirit and another’s faith drives motivation and success.
Following the story of two men in their attempt to train for the Olympics, the movie show’s both bad and good types of motivation.
This film actually won four awards out of the seven it was nominated for, so make sure you give it a watch.
Painting a beautiful picture of how to overcome struggle and follow your dreams, Endurance is a movie based on the true story of Haile Gebrselassie and his journey to winning the 10,000m in the 1996 Olympics.
Facing disapproval from his father, running six miles to school every day, and taking a 3 hour round trip to get water every afternoon, Haile plays himself in the movie, demonstrating no matter how hard things get, you can always follow your dreams.
Having the determination to succeed is what will push you out of your comfort zone and push you toward success.
This is what McFarland, USA tries to instill in runners by delivering a wonderful film that follows an ex-football coach who notices potential talent in a group of Latin students.
Transforming the group from runners with little to no experience to championship contenders, the film shows us all that we can achieve anything we put our minds to.
The Long Green Line shows us how any runner can be good or great with hard work, dedication, and desire.
A documentary film, The Long Green Mile looks at one of America’s greatest ever cross-country teams and how they run together.
Inspiring cross-country runners to succeed in life and on the track, Coach Joe leads his team to numerous titles using his own methods to inspire runners.
Finally, we have The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner. After being sentenced to a reformatory, juvenile Colin uses his running ability to his advantage.
Using his running to escape trouble, this black and white movie helps inspire young runners and shows how the sport can help develop a healthier mindset and behaviors.
While it can seem like punishment to some, we can use running as a powerful tool to tackle life’s challenges.
Hi, I’m Richard Harris and I have been running for almost 20 years now. Since a young teenager with a little baby fat still clinging on for dear life, I have been obsessed with this simple form of cardio.
Not only have I enjoyed running every single day for two decades, but I have also been fascinated by the countless marathons and races offered around the USA. I love watching these races, and I’ve even participated in some of them too!
