List of Sports Films - Athletics (track and Field)

Athletics (track and Field)

Title Year Genre Event(s) Notes
College 1927 Comedy Silent film with Buster Keaton trying multiple sports.
Olympic Games 1927 Comedy Our Gang children's version of the Olympics.
Million Dollar Legs 1932 Comedy Shotput W.C. Fields fable of team from "Klopstokia" competing in 1932 Olympic Games.
Jim Thorpe - All-American 1951 Biographical Decathlon True story of the famed Native American athlete, starring Burt Lancaster.
The Bob Mathias Story 1954 Drama Decathlon Biographical film on two-time Olympic gold medalist Bob Mathias.
Geordie 1955 Comedy Hammer Story of Scotsman out to get to the Olympic Games
It Happened in Athens 1962 Comedy Marathon Jayne Mansfield in story set at 1896 Olympics in Greece.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 1962 Drama Distance running Acclaimed film from U.K. starring Tom Courtenay.
Billie 1965 Comedy Sprints Patty Duke as a fictional athlete who competes with boys in high school.
Walk, Don't Run 1966 Comedy Race walking Final film of Cary Grant, set during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The Games 1970 Drama Marathon Ryan O'Neal and Michael Crawford as fictional distance runners.
The World's Greatest Athlete 1973 Comedy Track Disney tale of a jungle boy who becomes a star athlete.
The Loneliest Runner 1976 Drama Marathon Made for TV, written and directed by Michael Landon.
See How She Runs 1978 Drama Marathon Made for TV
Crossbar 1979 Drama High Jump Made for TV
The Jericho Mile 1979 Drama Mile Made for TV about a prisoner given a chance to qualify for the Olympics.
Running 1979 Drama Marathon Michael Douglas as fictional Olympic distance-running hopeful.
Goldengirl 1979 Sci-fi Sprints A scientifically enhanced girl (Susan Anton) trains for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Chariots of Fire 1981 Drama Sprints True story set during 1924 Olympics. Four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Graduation Day 1981 Horror Track Slasher film about members of school's track team being murdered.
Personal Best 1982 Drama Track Mariel Hemingway in fictional story of women's track and field.
Running Brave 1983 Drama 10,000 m Biographical film on the life and career of Billy Mills, starring Robby Benson.
On the Edge 1985 Drama Trail running A distance runner (Bruce Dern) fights for amateurs' rights during California's Dipsea Race.
The Jesse Owens Story 1985 Biographical Sprints, long jump True story of legendary 1930s athlete Jesse Owens, portrayed by Dorian Harewood.
Cracked Up 1987 Drama Track A high school athlete has a serious problem with cocaine.
Run for Your Life 1988 Drama/Thriller Marathon Italian-British production starring David Carradine.
Across the Tracks 1991 Drama Track Brad Pitt and Rick Schroeder as brothers who compete in high school track and field.
Pentathlon 1994 Thriller Pentathlon The life of a modern pentathlete (Dolph Lundgren) is in danger.
Higher Learning 1995 Drama Track Fictional story of college students, with Omar Epps as track athlete.
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story 1996 Biography 100m H True story of hardships and success of great U.S. female athlete.
Prefontaine 1997 Biography Running True story of Oregon middle distance runner Steve Prefontaine.
Without Limits 1998 Biography Running Another version of life and death of Steve Prefontaine.
Endurance 1999 Drama Distance running Biographical film about Haile Gebrselassie.
The Long Run 2000 Drama Ultramarathon Story of the Comrades Marathon, an annual 55-mile foot race in South Africa.
Pumpkin 2002 Comedy Christina Ricci in story about a developmentally challenged youth.
Hitler's Pawn - The Margaret Lambert Story 2004 Documentary High Jump True story of Gretel Bergmann, who was not permitted to compete in 1936 Olympics for being Jewish, then replaced by an athlete who turned out to be a man. Later dramatized in film Berlin 36.
Four Minutes 2005 Biography Mile Made for TV. Chronicles the successful quest of Roger Bannister to break the four-minute barrier in the mile.
The Ringer 2005 Comedy Johnny Knoxville bad-taste spoof of Special Olympics.
Saint Ralph 2005 Drama Marathon A 15-year-old boy attempts to run in the 1954 Boston Marathon.
Berlin 36 2009 Drama High jump Top athlete Gretel Bergmann is excluded from Berlin Olympics for being Jewish.
Salute 2008 Documentary Multiple events Australia film looking back at 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Run Fatboy Run 2007 Romantic comedy Marathon David Schwimmer-directed comedy about an out-of-shape British man who enters a marathon.
The One Man Olympics 2008
The Runner 2009 Ultra Trail
Into the Wind 2010 Documentary Road running Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Documents the 1980 attempt of cancer patient and amputee Terry Fox to run across Canada.
Marion Jones: Press Pause 2010 Documentary Sprints Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Chronicles the career of Marion Jones, her 2007 admission of performance-enhancing drug use, and subsequent prison sentence.
The Robber 2010 Drama Marathon German film about an Austrian bank-robbing runner.
Paan Singh Tomar 2012 Drama Steeplechase Indian film based on the true story of an athlete Paan Singh Tomar.
9.79* 2012 Documentary 100 m Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A look back at the final of the men's 100 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in which Ben Johnson set a world record but was disqualified after testing positive for steroids.
Fast Girls 2012 Drama Sprints British film about two women sprinters.

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