Have you ever wanted a fun documentary to just sit you down and introduce you to the world of speedrunning? Well wish come true as Running With Speed just released a documentary that delves into the story of what speed running is, who speed runners are and how their culture has evolved. It follows some notable and famous speedrunners, telling their stories from past and present.
It’s also about the remarkable community that has gathered around Games Done Quick, the charitable organization that has raised more than $41 million over the past 13 years for charities like the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders.
It was narrated by YouTube documentary maker Summon salt (opens in new tab) in a whirlwind that spans years of gaming history but focuses on a few better-known games than others, games like the Mario series and Super Metroid, which probably means you can watch it with non-gaming and gaming-adjacent friends and family. It’s also, I must say, not just a smile: it treats its subjects like real people with triumphs and tragedies all its own.
Running With Speed: The Fastest Gamers on Earth is a three part series. The first, called Masters of Mario, focuses on Mario game speedrunners. The second focuses on Games Done Quick, from the beginnings in someone’s mom’s basement to full hotels and millions in donations, then focuses on the emerging genre of competitive speedrunning. The third part, Game Not Over, talks to people slightly outside the current norm, talking to Metroid speedrunners like Zoast and Hotarubi before turning to talk to once-famous but now-retired speedrunner Narcissa Wright.
The documentary was made by Good Deed Entertainment and you can learn more about it on their website. (opens in new tab)
Running With Speed comes out just in time for this year’s Games Done Quick, which runs from January 8 to January 15, 2023. (opens in new tab)