In the High Country

On | Solace – Running the Alps in 30 days – Karel Sabbe's Via Alpina FKT In the summer of 2021, ultrarunner Karel Sabbe ran the Via Alpina trail in just 30 days. Averaging two marathons on a daily basis, he navigated the route 14 days faster than anybody else. As well as the Alps, Karel overcame sleep deprivation, illness and extreme weather. And he did it all with a camera crew in tow, documenting every step.

Started as a class project in what was likely the first filmmaking course ever taught at Harvard, Marathon documents the running of the 1964 Boston Marathon.

From the Alps to the Himalayas, living legend of mountain sports, Dawa Sherpa, has left his mark on the trail running world and the Olympic games. A top-level sportsman, yak keeper, mason and Buddhist monk, Dawa now organizes races for humanitarian purposes in the heart of his native mountains. One of them is the Solukhumbu Trail. A trail running race of approximately 300km, an adventure which takes place 5000m above sea level and a total amount of vertical drop kilometres equal to twice the ascent of Everest! Discover a wild and authentic Nepal, at the foot of the highest mountains in the world, while 60 running enthusiasts embark on a humanitarian adventure. Sometimes they have to sleep at the home of locals, in a refuge or in frozen tents. To exceed yourself while supporting a human cause that is the magic of the Solukhumbu Trail.

Eddie Izzard pushes her body and sense of humour to the limit for Sport Relief as she takes on an immense challenge - travelling to South Africa to run 27 marathons in 27 days to mark the 27 years that their hero Nelson Mandela spent in prison. It is a gruelling, uplifting and hilarious journey through baking heat, high roads and hospitals - but can Eddie make it to the final finish line?

Anton Krupicka, Ultra Pur

1 day. 100 miles. The idea sounds impossible to most of us, but that's the challenge Ashley Lindsey faces in 'Solstice,' which documents her attempt to finish the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The world's oldest and most prestigious 100 mile trail race, Western States runners travel from Squaw Valley to Auburn, battling bitter cold, stifling heat, and their own mental and physical limitations along the way. From mountain peaks to river canyons, runners climb over 18,000 vertical feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet on this ultimate challenge for long distance runners. 'Solstice' is the story of a rookie attempting to run 100 miles for the first time, and to prove that 'impossible' is just a word.

After losing his mother to obesity, a thirty-two year old chubby ginger comedian and vegan son-of-a-pig-farmer sets out to avoid the same fate by running one hundred miles through the mountains of Colorado in one of the world's most difficult ultra trail marathons...and lives to tell jokes about it.

After six months of scientifically advanced training, three of the world's most elite distance runners set out to break the two-hour marathon barrier. These pioneers go on a global trek to defy the unthinkable and break the two-hour feat, from testing in wind tunnels and running labs in the United States, to balancing training with their day-to- day lives in eastern Africa, to the final heart-pounding race in Italy.

A Bryan Hynes documentary following the story of Ultra Runner Lucy Bartholomew as she runs the the 231km Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory Australia. From Lucys early beginnings into the sport of Ultra running, the film looks behind the curtain into the raw and upfront realities of ultra running and the undertaking of a project on this scale. The film shines a light on going beyond limits, the value of community, and showcasing some of the most beautiful landscapes of central Australia.

We're proud and excited to present the Official Selection for the Trail Running Film Festival 2023 Global Tour. We're honored to bring these amazing stories by wonderfully talented filmmakers to theaters, trail races, running stores and community centers around the globe. FROM THE SHADOW OF A MOUNTAIN - Alex Massey, SOLO - Ellie Green CHASING CRAZY - Lady Mountain Films, RUN FREE - Ethan DeLorenzo, THE REALITY OF RUNNING - Milo Zanecchia, FAITH IN THE FUTURE - Adam Wells and Ryan Scura, FOOTPRINTS RUNNING CAMP - Max Romey, NETTIE FROM OHIO - Jessica Vandenbush, OUT TRAILS - Nick Danielson

WALMSLEY is a feature-length documentary that follows Jim Walmsley’s journey from the depths of a US Air Force Missile Silo to becoming the first American man to win UTMB by running 100 miles faster than anyone else in the world.

Join us for a series of films which explore the highs and lows of long distance trail running. In this thrilling collection brought to you by adidas TERREX, watch the world’s best runners test the limits of resilience and endurance to live the sport they love, and be united with their families at the finish line. As well as following pro athletes Sabrina Stanley, Stephen Kersh, Ruth Croft and Pablo Villa, it’s a chance to watch the UK premiere of ‘The Mirage’ with ultra runner Timothy Olson, documenting his attempt to run 50 miles a day for 50 days to break the fastest known time on the Pacific Crest Trail. Braving record high temperatures and impending wildfires, he must outrun nature to reach the trail's end before the birth of his daughter. Being present in the moment, finding your purpose, and pushing through the pain are what all runners chase after. On the world’s longest trails, these brief moments of joy can be the only thing keeping you going.

The story of Kenyan athlete David Rudisha, the greatest 800m runner the world has ever seen, and his unusual coach, the Irish Catholic missionary Brother Colm O'Connell.

A Documentary about how Flagstaff became a Running Mecca and a look inside the Flagstaff's running scene during the Olympic Year.

La Grande Traversée

In its first 25 years only 10 people have finished The Barkley Marathons. Based on a historic prison escape, this cult like race tempts people from around the world to test their limits of physical and mental endurance in this documentary that contemplates the value of pain.

Surrounded by the mountains and people who are his inspiration, in ‘Path to Everest’, the mountain athlete Kilian Jornet reveals his most intimate fears, contradictions and passions. Summits of My Life is the personal project of Kilian Jornet, in which for five years he has traveled to some of the most important peaks of the planet to try to establish FKT (fastest known time) of ascent and descent of some of the most emblematic mountains of the world. The project is closely linked to values and a way of understanding the purist and minimalist mountain. The experiences lived in each challenge have been captured in different films.

Goshen is a documentary depicting the diet and active lifestyle of the indigenous Tarahumara, a light-footed running tribe, who are striving to maintain their ancient culture against all odds. The Tarahumara are renowned for their incredible long distance running endurance and prevention of modern chronic diseases. Featuring the Born to Run author Chris McDougall and health specialists.

Brian Reynolds, a double amputee below the knee athlete, has triumphed over numerous challenges throughout his life. Growing up without a role model to guide him, he has embarked on a mission to empower para athletes by demonstrating that nothing is beyond reach. Join us in this documentary as we follow Brian's journey to make history by becoming the first double amputee to conquer the legendary Leadville 100 Ultra Trail Marathon in Colorado.

The Run is a feature length documentary film which follows Australian Pat Farmer’s test of human spirit and behind the scenes drama as he runs the length of India – 80 kilometres a day for 64 days with the backdrop of colourful, enchanting, challenging, organized chaos of India, which will saturate your senses.