Is it the summer of sports?

Maybe it’s World Cup fever but we do seem to have a number of comedies set in the world of competitive sports on the horizon over the next couple of months. And, if Racewalkers, the first film out of the gate, is any indication, it could be a very funny summer.

Racewalkers tells the story of Matt (Kevin Claydon), a failed baseball player whose life has fallen apart. Living in a trailer and watching his marriage crumble, he simply can’t catch a break. But his life is changed when he meets Will (Phil Moniz), a man who believes he has what it takes to compete in a sport that he has always loved: racewalking. Though neither of them seems to fit in in this world on their own, together they have the chance to take down the best walker in the country.

Co-written and co-directed by Moniz and Claydon, Racewalkers feels like a callback to the great sports comedies of the past. Like Happy Gilmore, Major League and so many more, Racewalkers fully leans into the tropes that made those films classic. Archetypes like the mustache-twirling villain, the underdog protagonist and the potential love interest are all featured heavily. Even so, just like so many other genre films, it’s not the presence of tropes that matters. It’s in the execution.

And Racewalkers takes the comedy baton and runs full steam ahead.

With furious fun, Moniz and Claydon may use the tropes as a roadmap for the film but then they manage to chart their own course, upending so many of the stereotypes that mark the genre. Without giving spoilers, this is a story that allows its characters to zig when you think it will zag, creating some delightful surprises along the way.

And, of course, what really keeps Racewalkers up to speed is the banter between Moniz, Claydon and Amell. Together, the three have genuine chemistry together in the midst of their absurd circumstances.

After all, even they know they’re in a weird sport with bizarre rules. But they love it.

In this way, Will and Matt’s journey together becomes a celebration of the oddball. The two athletes don’t fit the mold of the typical races in this community but they embrace their abnormality with honesty and humility. For Will, his size prevents him from gaining the necessary speed to participate but his mind is very much a useful weapon for his trainee. At the same time, failed baseball player Matt doesn’t (at first) believe this is even a sport until he recognizes that his physical abilities give him an unexpected advantage. In short, like other sports comedies, the duo should not be able to compete. But their trust in each other allows them to potentially build something special, even if the world around them doesn’t entirely make sense.

Credit must also be given to Amell’s performance as Chad Lester. Stepping into the ‘Shooter McGavin’ role (sort of), Amell’s antagonistic Lester is delightfully obtuse. Though he’s physically perfect for the sport, Lester’s mind is… lacking and he leans into the role with gleeful silliness.

Admittedly, there isn’t much subtext to Racewalkers. This isn’t a film that wants to change the world or has any particular agenda on display (other than what we’ve mentioned already). But that’s also part of its charm. Racewalkers simply wears its heart on its sleeve and never pretends to be anything that it’s not. What’s more, the film is so ridiculous that you cannot help but join in the fun. (For example, this might be the only film where a hanging banner has its own brand of comedic timing.)

It might even encourage you take a power walk afterwards.

Racewalkers is available in theatres on Friday, July 10th, 2026.