The presents have been unwrapped, the Christmas tree is looking a little worse for wear and the last of the cranberry sauce has been safely dispatched to the back of the fridge where it will begin to grow its own eco-system until you rediscover it sometime close to Easter. The time between Christmas and New Year can feel like a no-mans land of festive fog.
And if you need something to fill the time that isn’t yet another ‘city girl meets country boy and suddenly accidentally-on-purpose becomes the next Mrs Santa Claus’ made for streaming Christmas movie. We’re bringing you our pick of the best triathlon-related films and documentaries. Here to help you get inspired, get motivated and to fill the gap left by the end of the professional race season.
Grab the popcorn and get ready for some swim-bike-run binge-watching.
Crushed: The Kat Matthews Story
Kat Matthews’ rise through the PRO triathlon ranks was meteoric, swiftly going from rookie to world-class contender on the biggest stages. But in 2022, just weeks before the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, an accident while Kat was out on a training ride changed everything. T100’s ‘Crushed’ docuseries brings you along on Kat’s road to recovery – and after seeing such an impressive 2024 from the British PRO, it makes you realise just quite how resilient and determined she is.
Project Iceman
140.6 miles of swim-bike-run is hard enough for most of us, but can you imagine doing it in the extreme sub-zero climate of Antarctica?
Project Iceman is a full-length feature film that tracks the journey of Anders Hofman as he attempts to become the first person to complete a long distance triathlon in Antarctica. A 3.8km swim in freezing water, followed by 180km of cycling and 42.2km of running across the ice.
Hofman says he took on the extraordinary feat to show that “limitations are perceptions” and to inspire other to believe that “we are capable of so much more than our minds let us to believe.”
If you’re looking for a film to motivate you suck it up and keep training through the winter months – this is it!
Inches to Miles
Inches to Miles is a documentary following three ‘ordinary’ age-groupers each overcoming their own individual challenges and setbacks on the road to completing IRONMAN Lake Placid. While all three stories will be inspiring to plenty of us age-groupers, it’s the story of Lynn Rogers that really stands out. Lynn herself was the director of a rehabilitation centre, helping people who had suffered from strokes to regain their mobility, and training to compete in an IRONMAN. When the onset of inexplicable neurological symptoms left her fighting for her own mobility. In her words: “I never would’ve imagined that I would have been someone here fighting to get their mobility back, fighting to stand again, fighting to even walk again.”
It’s impossible not to be inspired by Lynn as we get a raw insight into her determination to keep going against all odds.
The Man with the Halo
Triathlon legend Tim Don is someone we’ve now become accustomed to seeing ‘on the other side of the fence’ so to speak, as a team manager for supertri. But rewind a few years and the 4 x World Champion and 3 x Olympian was leading the charge in long distance triathlon. In 2017, after setting what was at the time a record for the 140.6 distance, Don was a hot favourite for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona that year. But days before the event, he was hit by a truck while on a training ride. Leaving him with a broken neck, and his Kona dream in tatters.
But Don’s resolve to return to racing was remarkable, with the British athlete suffering the excruciating pain of having a ‘halo’ metal framework screwed into his skull to give him the best chance of recovering and getting back on the race course. Six months later, he ran the Boston Marathon. A year on, he toed the start line in Kona once again.
The Man with the Halo documentary tells the incredible story of Tim Don’s journey back to the start line.
100 Meters
100 Meters is a Spanish film on Netflix. It’s based on the true story of Ramón Arroyo, who was determined to defy the odds – and the doctors – by completing an Ironman triathlon, despite being told he wouldn’t even make it to 100 meters.
We Are Triathletes
A classic, and for good reason. Featuring triathlon legends including Mirinda Carfrae, Luke McKenzie, and Felix Walchshoefer, the We Are Triathletes documentary follows six triathletes getting ready to participate in the Tour de France of triathlon, Challenge Roth, and takes you back through Ironman history. A must watch, that will probably make you wish you’d managed to get an entry for Challenge Roth in 2025.
Under Paris
And finally, we had to do it. Sure it might be some sort of insane Planet of the Apes meets sports movie mash up. Sure the concept of sharks that can magically reproduce like the broomsticks in Fantasia and hold a weird vendetta against multisport athletes making their way into the River Seine and suddenly ruling the streets of Paris makes absolutely no sense. But if you want something vaguely triathlon-ish with a side of good old fashioned ultra-cheesy action movie. You’ll enjoy spending a few hours yelling ‘wait, WHAT!?’ at Under Paris. Just don’t blame us if you start looking for sharks in the deep end of your local swimming pool after watching it.
RELATED: Under Paris film review
So there you have it, plenty of hours of swim-bike-run action caught on film to help you while away the hours. And if all that has left you feeling motivated for next race season, head over to our Let’s Race… section to find your next triathlon event!
