THE 5 'MUST SEE' NETFLIX SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES

THE 5 'MUST SEE' NETFLIX SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES

Sometimes, you spend more time looking for something to watch on Netflix than you end up actually watching. Recognizable? That gave us the idea to help you select the interesting stuff on Netflix. In this blog, we have listed our top 5 'must see' sports documentaries for you. Have fun watching!

 

  1. THE BARKLEY MARATHONS

Inclined to start running but lacking inspiration? Then Barkley Marathons is a documentary you must have seen. This comical yet surprisingly exciting documentary is about one of the toughest (and most sadistic) running races in the world. In the forests of Tennessee, participants must cover 160 kilometers within sixty hours, including sixteen thousand altimeters. And as if that is not already tough enough: there is no clearly marked course, resulting in many lost runners and unnecessary miles. Before 2012, only ten athletes ever reached the finish line. In 2012, the documentary filmmakers Annika Iltis and Timothy Kane followed the race. The registration process itself is very secretive. For example, there is no website where you can sign up like any other event. If you do find out how and where you can register, you will have to write an essay on why you want to participate, among other things. The 40 people who are selected will not receive an invitation but a letter of condolence as confirmation. 

Participants who eventually appear at the start do not even know the exact time the race begins! This only becomes clear because a horn is blown at a random time. One hour after blowing the horn, the star of the film, organizer Gary ""Lazarus Lake"" Cantrell, lights a cigarette which signifies the official starting signal.

This is the kind of adventure you know only from movies. We won't give too much away but this documentary really inspires you to start running.

  1. BORN STRONG

Born Strong is the story of the four strongest men on the planet. Each year, the Arnold Strongman Classic crowns the winner in the purest test of strength on the planet. The Arnolds in this documentary are unique, and each of these four weigh more than 400 pounds (181 kilograms). Lithuanian Zydrunas Savickas, 40, is considered the strongest man ever, but perhaps is beyond his prime. American Brian Shaw is the defending champion, a 6'8″, 425-pound giant, who seems ready to take the crown. England's Eddie Hall is ""the hungry wolf"" knocking on the door. ""I will do anything,"" he says. ""I will die, if I have to."" Finally, there is Icelander Hafthor Bjornsson, who plays ""The Mountain"" in Game of Thrones. He is the youngest of the group, but with perhaps the greatest potential. ""It's great to see these monsters,"" said Arnold Schwarzenegger, the competition's host and former bodybuilding champion. Born Strong enjoys the drama when these remarkable giants clash. Only one will win.

 

  1. FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE

Fan or no fan, it doesn't matter. Everyone who has seen an episode of the Netflix documentary Formula 1: Drive to Survive, looks differently at a Formula 1 race. Even the people who previously said they had nothing to do with ""race cars that just go around in circles,"" now noted that tactics and a lot of engineering were indeed involved. In this first season, you follow drivers, managers, and team owners both on and off the race track, during a killer season of Formula 1 racing. In the ten episodes, Verstappen receives a lot of attention. His highs and lows, but also his relationship with Daniel Ricciardo is highlighted, with the crash in Azerbaijan's Baku. On TV, Verstappen and Ricciardo seemed to be friends more often than colleagues. Yet the (seemingly) amicable bond did not prevent Ricciardo from spreading his wings to another team. As of the 2019 season, the Australian will no longer drive for Red Bull, but for Renault. Nice little detail. Red Bull just switched to the new engine supplier Honda after disappointing results with Renault this season. Still something to keep an eye on. In addition, the arrival of the very young Monegasque racing driver Charles Leclerc in Formula 1 is interesting. Whereas Max Verstappen was previously known as the great promising talent and possible future world champion, now 21-year-old Leclerc is being noted as the successor to world champions Hamilton and Vettel after some notable performances. The series was produced by James Gay Rees, a British producer you may know from the documentary Senna about the life of late former Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna.

For all those people who were neck-deep waiting of a second season, we have good news. Season 2 of Formula 1: Drive to Survive has been confirmed! And even more happy news, as Ferrari and Mercedes (the big absentees in the first season) have given permission for their teams to follow suit as well. 

 

  1. THE HURT BUSINESS

From the producers of ""Bowling for Columbine,"" ""Fahrenheit 9/11"" and ""Generation Iron,"" ""The Hurt Business"" documents the lives of several martial arts superstars, including Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones. They compete in one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. The focus is on their struggles and the triumphs that define their careers in cage fighting. In addition to legends such as Georges St-Pierre and promising new fighters in the sport, the documentary covers the history of mixed martial arts, from ancient Greek Coliseum fights to modern venues such as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, all expertly narrated by Kevin Costner. Themes like damage, both mental and physical, are explored and the question is raised, is it worth sacrificing body and mind for sport? All in all, a very impressive and informative look behind the scenes of one of the oldest sports on earth: man to man combat. 

 

  1. THE REDEEMED AND THE DOMINANT

This impressive documentary is about the fittest people on earth. Elite athletes take a series of grueling tests to compete for the title of ""Fittest on Earth,"" measured over 4 days during the Reebok Cross-fit Games in Wisconsin, USA.

As the creators themselves beautifully describe it: ""The Fittest on Earth captures all the drama as top athletes resembling chiseled Grecian gods descend on Madison, Wisconsin, to face a series of trials. Hercules faced 12; they take on 13.""

In this 103-minute documentary, you get a glimpse into the lives of athletes such as: Tia-Clair Toomey, Matt Fraser (the favorite), Kara Webb, Katrin Davidsdottir, Sara Sigmundsdóttir and Brent Fikowski. These are not just any names, these are the names of the fittest people on the planet. In other words, the Lionel Messi's, Cristiano Ronaldo's or the Lieke Martens' of the CrossFit world.

In other words, go ahead and book a WOD (Workout Of te Day) at your local CrossFit box, because after watching this docu you're guaranteed to be motivated!

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