A new documentary titled “Run Terry Run” unveiled its trailer today, showcasing never-before-seen footage of Terry Fox’s 1980 Marathon of Hope. The documentary, set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) next month, boasts nearly 100 reels of recently recovered archival footage offering an intimate portrayal of the British Columbia athlete and cancer research advocate.
The trailer includes insights from key figures like Doug Alward, a van driver and friend of Fox, Darrell Fox, Terry’s younger brother, and Terry Fox himself as he embarked on his ambitious cross-Canada run at the age of 21 following the amputation of his leg due to osteogenic sarcoma. In one poignant moment from the trailer, Fox expresses his thoughts on reaching Vancouver and his unwavering commitment to his cause.
Director Sean Menard of Toronto managed to retrieve the raw footage from filmmaker John Simpson, who initially believed the footage had been discarded after creating his own documentary in 1981. Motivated by the scarcity of high-quality footage, Menard teamed up with the Terry Fox Foundation and located the footage in a storage unit in Toronto. After restoring the film reels to 4K quality, the documentary was first screened at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto last year.
The documentary, devoid of traditional interviews, instead incorporates voiceovers from key individuals like Alward, Darrell Fox, Leslie Scrivener, the first journalist to cover the Marathon of Hope, and Darryl Sittler, the former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs who ran alongside Terry during a leg of his journey.
Terry Fox’s iconic marathon, which commenced in 1980, raised over $24 million for cancer research before his untimely passing in 1981. Recently, the Terry Fox Foundation announced it had surpassed the milestone of $1 billion in funds raised for cancer research. Fox’s legacy has been depicted in various documentaries over the years, with his image set to grace the next $5 banknote in Canada in 2024.
Menard shared that his documentary captures the transformation of a 21-year-old Terry Fox from a novice runner with a grand vision to a young man navigating the global spotlight while pushing his physical and mental boundaries. The film features an original score by U.S. composer Tom Caffey, known for his work on the Michael Jordan Netflix series “The Last Dance.”
“Run Terry Run” is scheduled to premiere at TIFF on September 19, preceding the 46th annual Terry Fox Run by a day, with a theatrical release planned for October 9, 2026.
