A new documentary trailer showcasing never-before-seen footage of Terry Fox has been unveiled today, ahead of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) next month. Titled “Run Terry Run,” the documentary offers a unique glimpse into the 1980 Marathon of Hope by the British Columbia athlete and cancer research advocate, using nearly 100 reels of recently recovered archival footage.
The trailer includes conversations and insights from key figures such as van driver and friend Doug Alward, Terry Fox’s brother Darrell Fox, and Terry Fox himself as he embarked on his courageous journey to run across Canada at the age of 21 to raise funds for cancer research following the amputation of his leg due to osteogenic sarcoma.
Toronto director Sean Menard obtained the raw footage from filmmaker John Simpson, who had filmed Fox’s run with multiple camera operators from the East Coast. Menard’s quest to find authentic documentation of Fox’s marathon was supported by the Terry Fox Foundation, leading to the discovery of the footage in a Toronto storage unit near Menard’s residence. The footage was meticulously restored to 4K quality for the documentary, which was premiered at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall last year.
The documentary stands out for its unique storytelling approach, featuring 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 part of his journey.
Terry Fox commenced his marathon on April 12, 1980, aiming to run from St. John’s to Victoria after being diagnosed with cancer three years earlier. Despite having to cut his attempt short near Thunder Bay, Ontario, due to the spread of cancer to his lungs, Fox’s inspiring effort raised over $24 million at the time, equivalent to $1 from every Canadian. This year, the Terry Fox Foundation announced surpassing $1 billion in funds raised for cancer research.
Fox’s enduring legacy has been the subject of several documentaries, with his image set to appear on Canada’s $5 banknote in 2024. Menard’s documentary captures the transformation of a 21-year-old Fox from a less-confident runner with a grand vision to a young man navigating the global spotlight while pushing his physical and mental boundaries.
Featuring 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” will debut at TIFF on September 19, a day before the 46th annual Terry Fox Run, with a theatrical release scheduled for October 9, 2026.