The ramifications of the coronavirus have hit far and wide. With the cancellations of almost all professional sporting events, fans are desperate for some athletic entertainment. However, a new sport has taken the internet by storm — marble racing. Marbula One is a YouTube channel run by brothers Jelle and Dion Bakker, and it has gathered an enormous platform of viewers in the absence of regularly televised sporting events.
The Bakkers’ channel features marble runs and marble races that take place on different tracks and speedways. With over one million subscribers, the YouTube page includes marble competitions that spoof the Olympic Games, Formula One and other sporting events. All of these races and events treat each marble as if they were athletes.
Marbula One is a new tournament on Jelle’s Marble Runs that was launched on Feb. 15, 2020. The competition draws inspiration from real world Formula One racing and presents select marbles and teams from the Marble League. The scoring and point system of the marble races is identical to the Formula One score system.
The Marbula One competition takes place on eight different tracks: Savage Speedway, O’raceway, Momotorway, Hivedrive, Greenstone, Short Circuit, Razzway and Midnight Bay. Each Marbula One race usually features the same marble athletes, highlighting their past stats and showcasing their marble “fan base.” Every Marbula One race is accompanied with very lively and accurate sports commentating.
The new influx of downtime, and cancellation of all sporting events has created the perfect platform for the rise of Marbula One racing competitions. If you’re stuck at home practicing social distancing and desperately missing your favorite sports channels, you might as well turn on Marbula One and find a marble to cheer on!