The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young
An irreverent and inspiring portrait of a nearly impossible Tennessee ultramarathon and the obsessive runners who dare to confront it.
Overview
A grueling race tests the limits of human endurance in the wilds of Tennessee.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- inspiring
- inspirational viewing
- sports night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the documentary as an entertaining, distinctive, and inspiring account of an extreme race, though its impact is tempered by uneven critical enthusiasm.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Barkley Marathons are presented through their secrecy, elaborate rituals, and founder Lazarus Lake’s deliberately mythic persona.
Runners’ preparation and attempts to finish the course show endurance as a defining personal commitment rather than merely a performance metric.
The race’s bizarre traditions and guarded culture generate the documentary’s wildly funny, oddly inspiring register.
The Tennessee trail environment is central to the Barkley course’s reputation for defeating nearly every entrant.
Films like The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, and why
Free Solo
observational sports documentary centered on extreme endurance, eccentric personalities, and an unusually demanding competition
The Dawn Wall
inspiring endurance documentary combining intimate athlete portraits with punishing physical challenges
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
funny, offbeat documentary about obsessive competitors and an unconventional sporting subculture
Movie Details
- Directors
- Annika Iltis, Timothy James Kane
- Release Date
- 2014-10-26
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (119)
Cast
- Lazarus Lake
- Jared Campbell
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young about?
- An irreverent and inspiring portrait of a nearly impossible Tennessee ultramarathon and the obsessive runners who dare to confront it.
- What is The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young.
- What did critics think of The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young?
- Critics broadly regard the documentary as an entertaining, distinctive, and inspiring account of an extreme race, though its impact is tempered by uneven critical enthusiasm.
- Which films are like The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young?
- Films with a similar feel include Free Solo, The Dawn Wall, and The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.
- How long is The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young?
- The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young?
- In United States, The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store.
