EMN Marathons - Games Done Quick
Games Done Quick is a speedrun charity marathon held twice a year by the organization of the same name. The winter event, Awesome Games Done Quick, benefits the Prevent Cancer Foundation and the summer event, Summer Games Done Quick, benefits Doctors Without Borders. It is unique in that it is held in front of an audience, leading to entertaining runs with commentary, crowd reactions, and excitement. It has a relaxed and easy vibe, which makes it great to toss on and chill out to or even fall asleep to.
I've been following the event since around 2015, though knowing my memory it may have been a year earlier. Either way, I very much remember the Mischief Makers run from AGDQ2015 as it ended with a marriage proposal. Moments like that get me all kinds of excited, and for a while it was something of a tradition to catch both marathons each year with friends. There's nothing like being able to tune in at any time and see a grand event that others in your circle are also following, especially when memorable moments like Bonesaw's infamous Jak & Daxter run happen.
I'm especially fond of Tetris: The Grand Master runs.
With the start of the pandemic, GDQ understandably moved to online-only events. Conventions are hotbeds of illness at the best of times, so one with a big crowd-focused event was a recipe for disaster. The online-only events are still decent, with more game variety than ever, but I really miss the social draw of it all. That was one of the reasons I started grabbing my favorite speedruns from each event along with games I thought just sounded interesting. This channel covers AGDQ and SGDQ between 2015 and 2020, and with its construction helped soothe the itch for a marathon I had been feeling. All in all, it's a really fun event and a really fun channel since there are so many incredible runs that can show up whenever to surprise and delight, just unbelievable showcases of skill with a wonderful atmosphere surrounding it all to boot.