A new documentary named “Run Terry Run” unveiled its trailer today, featuring previously unreleased footage of Terry Fox’s 1980 Marathon of Hope. The documentary promises a unique perspective on the journey of the British Columbia athlete and cancer research advocate. The trailer includes insights from key figures such as van driver Doug Alward, Terry Fox’s brother Darrell Fox, and Terry Fox himself as he embarked on his cross-Canada run to raise cancer research funds.
Toronto director Sean Menard obtained the archival footage from filmmaker John Simpson, who had believed it was lost. Menard’s quest, supported by the Terry Fox Foundation, led him to discover the footage in a storage unit in Toronto. After restoring the film to 4K quality, Menard showcased his documentary at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto last year.
The documentary, which does not rely on traditional interviews, features voiceovers from notable 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 with Terry. Terry Fox’s iconic run, which began in 1980, aimed to cover the distance from St. John’s to Victoria but was cut short near Thunder Bay due to cancer complications.
Despite Fox’s passing in 1981, his marathon raised over $24 million at the time, equivalent to one dollar per Canadian. The Terry Fox Foundation recently surpassed the remarkable milestone of raising over $1 billion for cancer research. Terry Fox’s legacy has been commemorated through various documentaries, including the upcoming “Run Terry Run,” set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 19, 2026, ahead of its theatrical release on October 9, 2026.