How To Prepare For Your Lord Of The Rings/Hobbit Super Marathon

Fourteen years ago, Peter Jackson's adaptation of the nerd bible, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, was released. Since then, fans have completed the epic movie marathon of the trilogy, usually involving the extended editions. But that’s a breeze compared to the newest challenge that fans of Middle Earth will now attempt.

On March 27, 2015, the final installment in The Hobbit series was released on DVD and BluRay, finally allowing us to complete the epic collection of both trilogies. So what’s the obvious next step? The most epic 17-hour movie marathon of all time. (Over 20 hours with the extended editions.)

But making it through countless hours of hobbits and magic and people screaming about rings is not for the faint of heart. I’m here to help you prepare for the long journey ahead, so you aren't plagued with constant potty breaks and trips to the fridge.

Choose a path

Chances are you’ve already seen all the movies several times, so why not switch it up a bit? Consult this guide of different marathon possibilities to best plan out your adventure into Middle Earth.

Plan your journey

It all comes down to the W's.

Who will join you on this adventure?

You don't want to be stuck with someone who can't sit still for 20 minutes, much less 20 hours. You also don't want someone who would constantly ask you to pause the movie for them. Choose wisely!

What do you need with you?

• All six movies
• TV and/or computer
• Something comfy to sit on
• Blankets and pillows
• A fan (or heater)
• Phone
• Phone charger (for when your phone inevitably runs out of battery)
• Food and drinks

Don't weigh yourself down with distractions.

When will you embark on this journey?

Dawn

Pro: Done by midnight

Con: Waking up super early

Midday

Pro: Chance to sleep in

Con: Done by 6 a.m. (Not exactly sleep schedule-friendly)

Dusk

Pro: Chance to enjoy an entire day beforehand

Con: No choice by to pull an all-nighter and nap the entire day away afterwards

Midnight

Pro: Done by 6 p.m. (You can go to sleep on time!)

Con: Again, an all-nighter is inevitable

Where will this journey take place?

Remember to consider how much space you will have, how easy it is to access any necessities (like food) and where you will encounter the least outside distractions. Loud roommates stumbling into the living room at 3 a.m. in the middle of Gandalf taking on the Balrog could ruin the whole experience.

Food Preparation

You don’t want to starve, but you don’t want to have to keep going to the kitchen to grab food. So what do you do?

1. Bring out all of the non-perishable food you might eat over the course the adventure. Remember to consider what meals you'll miss.

2. If you have a mini-fridge, bring it into the movie-watching area, so there's no need to go out to the kitchen to grab any refrigerated foods.

3. Plan for your adventure to take place in or next to the kitchen. If your living room is connected to your kitchen even better! As long as you can see the screen while you grab your cheese and crackers, all is well.

4. Lembas bread. 

DRINK PREPARATION (and bathroom breaks)

Let's face it: Drinking and bathroom breaks go hand-in-hand. You don't want to be that guy, do you?

Pro tip #1: Drink lots of water the day before, so you're hydrated.

Pro tip #2: Go to the bathroom immediately before the marathon starts.

Pro tip #3: Fill all of your drinking needs about 15 minutes before the end of a movie. That way, you can rush to the bathroom in between installments, and no one will have to pause for you.

"But what if we'e doing the Lord of the Rings drinking game?"

You can't avoid mid-battle bathroom breaks there, so my advice is to make an agreement with your fellow adventures to pause the movie for no one. The strong-willed will be able to continue their adventure without interruption, and the weak-willed will be forced to miss a portion of the film.

Sometimes, sacrifice is necessary.

Remember what you're there for 

Even the strongest, most faithful fan may stumble a bit during this adventure.

You'll slump. You'll tumble. Your leg will fall asleep. You'll eat way too many chips. That guy who always has to go to the bathroom will get on your very last nerves. But at the end of the day, you won't regret a thing. You may even cry a bit, because the franchise is all over, and chances are you grew up with the darn things.

My friend, you'll have completed the most epic film adventure of a lifetime.