Jason Fitzpatrick
The 2020 sports season has been weird, to say the least. Fortunately, there’s somewhere you can go to get your sports fix. Complete with competition, the murmur of a crowd, and some brilliant announcing, reward yourself with some marble racing!
And not just any marble racing will do. If you want the real deal, we insist you check out Jelle’s Marble Runs. This YouTube channel focuses entirely on marble racing and sports. Where the channel’s creators, Jelle and Dion Bakker, really set themselves apart, though, is the incredible lengths they go to in order to create the feeling of an actual sporting event.
Although the “athletes” are marbles, the duo creates a surprisingly compelling illusion with them. There are time trials, qualifications, training sessions, player backstories, and tiny marble fans in the stands holding flags and signs. But it’s the absolutely fantastic announcement work that makes you feel like you’re watching an actual competition unfold.
If that all sounds a bit strange, just watch the opening ceremonies of Marble League 2020 in the video below.
It’s almost impossible to watch these and not experience at least one moment of true sports emoting. Oh! So close!
If the levity and fun have caught your attention, you’re in luck! In addition to Marble League 2020, you can watch years-worth of past seasons on the channel, as well as other events, like the 2018 Sand Marble Rally.
