Here are my favorite documentaries about triathlons and triathletes (ranked).
These docs take you from Antarctica’s icy wastelands to the scorching deserts of Morocco.
Enjoy!
1) Project Iceman
Anders Hofman isn’t your average athlete. At 28, he takes on a challenge that’s borderline insane: completing a full Ironman triathlon in Antarctica.
Hofman’s mission is to swim 3.8 kilometers in ice-cold water, bike 180 kilometers over glaciers, and run a marathon in some of the harshest conditions on the planet.
“Everybody questions when you’re do something that nobody else is doing.
Nobody questions when you’re doing what everybody else is doing.”
Anders Hoffman
Directed by Ammar Kandil in 2023, “Project Iceman” dives into, the film doesn’t just focus on the race; it digs into Hofman’s past, where a teacher taking away his beloved cap as a kid sparked a lifelong battle with identity.
That moment fuels his drive to push his limits. With his brother Anthon by his side, Hofman prepares for this monumental feat, knowing that one misstep could mean hypothermia—or worse.
Training in Denmark, he quickly learns that swimming in freezing water is no joke.
When the team finally lands in Antarctica, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Every frozen step, every pedal through the ice, and every breath in the cold pushes Hofman to the edge.
“Project Iceman” is a raw, visually stunning journey that shows just how far someone will go to defy the limits of human endurance.
Check out “Project Iceman” to see all the streaming options (including a free one!)
2) Crossing The Line: John van Wisse
In this raw doc, John Van Wisse embarks on the daunting London to Paris Ultra Triathlon, a 483-kilometer journey known as the Enduroman Arch to Arc.
Van Wisse, already a decorated athlete with feats like being the youngest to swim across Port Phillip Bay and a triple champion of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, faces his most significant challenge yet.
Armed with essentials like salt tablets, peanut butter sandwiches, and a portable toilet tent, Van Wisse begins his run from the Arc de Triomphe.
However, things take a frustrating turn when his team loses track of him early on. Undeterred, he presses on, even when local police mistake him for an illegal immigrant during his swim across the English Channel.
With inspiration from a message about his father, Van Wisse completes the triathlon in a record-breaking 61 hours and 27 minutes, shattering the previous record by over 12 hours.
His journey is a testament to endurance, determination, and the power of familial motivation.
You can watch this doc by clicking the video embed above or going here for more options:
“Crossing The Line: John van Wisse”
3) We Are Triathletes
So here’s the deal: six triathletes, four countries, one ridiculous endurance race—Challenge Roth.
Directed by Yanfeng Zhang, this 2018 documentary takes you deep into the trenches of what it means to prep for something this insane.
The doc shows the six months of grueling prep work, where these athletes live and breathe triathlon, setting their sights on a goal that seems borderline nuts.
One of them says that if you think about your goal every day, you can achieve it—even if it’s a race that chews you up and spits you out.
That’s some serious focus.
And then there’s Challenge Roth itself—5,500 racers, 250,000 spectators, and an atmosphere that makes you think you’re at the Super Bowl of triathlons.
Watch “We Are Triathletes” on Amazon ($5.99 last I checked) at https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/0SP1NAAKAA0MPXVQ18W5VL75QX/
Check here for future streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/we-are-triathletes
4) The Ultimate Triathlon
The Ultimate Triathlon (2016) is a high-octane doc that takes you on an insane journey with Luke Tyburski.
He’s the former pro footballer turned endurance junkie whose injury wrecked his sports career.
It sent him into a deep depression but Luke found a way back through extreme challenges. .
And now he’s doing a 2,000km triathlon from Morocco to Monaco— in just 12 days!
Swimming from Africa to Europe, cycling the length of Spain, and running the coast of France, Luke battles brutal physical and mental obstacles.
Directed by Jay Cox, this 94-minute doc is about one man’s fight to reclaim his life and discover just how far he can go.
Watch it on Amazon ($2.99 last I looked). Check here for the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-ultimate-triathlon
5) Heart: Flatline to Finish Line
This 2021 doc is not for the squeamish (like me). You’re gonna see heart surgery up front.
But that’s relevant in this doc.
This doc takes you from hospital beds to the Ironman finish line with six cardiac patients determined to defy the odds.
We’re talking about a journey that starts with open-heart surgery and ends with a 140.6-mile race.
Imagine being wheeled into an operating room, wondering what legacy you’ll leave behind, and then deciding that surviving isn’t enough—you’ve got to live, really live.
These athletes—who’ve faced heart surgeries, strokes, and congenital defects—aren’t just running, biking, and swimming.
They’re battling demons, proving to themselves and the world that they’re still in control.
Director Jay Cox captures the grit, tears, and triumphs.
Watch the full “Heart: Flatline to Finish Line” for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsSR6Lmvvqg
6) Athlete
“Athlete” profiles a cancer survivor, a blind senior citizen, and a pair of twin sisters—all pushing their limits in marathons and triathlons.
This doc, directed, edited, and produced by Dave Lam in 2010, profiles:
- Jenny Hinshaw, a 38-year-old Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor who’s not just running; she’s proving that cancer couldn’t steal her fight.
- Artie Elefant, 61 years old and blind, but still crushing it with the Achilles Track Club.
- Carrie Neveldine and Kellie Smirnoff, 35-year-old twins tackling their first Ironman like they’ve got something to prove.
Lam takes us through a lineup of grueling races, including the New York City Marathon, Ironman Lake Placid, Miami Marathon, and the Five Boro Bike Tour, among others.
I don’t see it streaming anywhere
7) Beyond Human – Countdown to the Collins Cup
“Beyond Human” slams you into the action with the world’s top triathletes prepping for the ultimate face-off: The Collins Cup.
This 7-episode 2023 series packs a punch, with each 9 to 21-minute episode diving deep into the intense world of Lionel Sanders, Sebastian Kienle, and Heather Jackson.
Triathlons are the ultimate endurance test—hours of swimming, biking, and running that push even the fittest to their limits.
For Sanders, Kienle, and Jackson, it’s just another day in the office.
The Collins Cup is a Ryder Cup-style showdown shaking up the triathlon world.
Three teams—Team Europe, Team USA, and Team International—go head-to-head in 12 match races covering a brutal 2 km swim, 80 km bike, and 18 km run.
Points are up for grabs: 3 for first, 2 for second, 1 for third, with bonus points for crushing rivals by wide margins.
Win by two minutes, and you snag an extra ½ point, up to 1½ points for a six-minute victory.
Teams are stacked with four automatic qualifiers from the PTO World Rankings and two wildcards picked by legends like Normann Stadler, Natascha Badmann, Mark Allen, and Karen Smyers.
These captains know what it takes to win, and they’re not messing around.
I love the different journeys of these triathletes.
Sanders fights inner demons, Jackson makes a journey from ice hockey to triathlon inspires, and Kienle opens up about career-threatening injuries.
You can watch the 7 episodes for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwuXMGd35KXXDMV4TVx_S2uoooN85WPRY
Thanks for reading!
-Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc