A new documentary on Terry Fox, showcasing previously unseen footage, unveiled its trailer today, a month before its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Titled “Run Terry Run,” the film delves into the 1980 Marathon of Hope by Terry Fox, using close to 100 recently recovered archival reels.
The trailer includes insights from van driver Doug Alward, Terry Fox’s brother Darrell Fox, and Terry Fox himself as he embarked on his cross-Canada run at age 21 to raise funds for cancer research post his leg amputation due to osteogenic sarcoma. In the trailer, Fox expresses his thoughts on completing the run in Vancouver and his dedication to the cause.
Director Sean Menard from Toronto acquired the raw footage from filmmaker John Simpson, who had documented Fox’s journey with multiple camera crews from the East Coast. Menard’s quest, supported by the Terry Fox Foundation, led to the discovery of the footage in a Toronto storage unit near his residence. Restored to 4K quality, the footage was used to create the documentary, first showcased at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto last year.
The documentary, devoid of traditional interviews, features voiceovers from key figures 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 with Terry during a segment of the journey.
Terry Fox initiated his marathon on April 12, 1980, aiming to run from St. John’s to Victoria but had to halt near Thunder Bay, Ontario, due to cancer spreading to his lungs, eventually passing away in 1981. His run raised over $24 million back then, with the Terry Fox Foundation recently surpassing $1 billion in cancer research funds. Fox has been the subject of multiple documentaries, and in 2024, the Bank of Canada announced his image on the upcoming $5 banknote.
Menard described his documentary as a portrayal of Fox’s growth from a hesitant runner with a grand vision to a young man navigating fame while challenging himself. The film features an original score by composer Tom Caffey, known for his work on the Michael Jordan Netflix series “The Last Dance.”
“Run Terry Run” will premiere at TIFF on September 19, ahead of the 46th Terry Fox Run, with a theatrical release set for October 9, 2026.