Run Terry Run reveals intimate side of the Marathon of Hope with never-heard audio

A new documentary called Run Terry Run premiered at TIFF with never-before-heard audio and footage from Terry Fox's 1980 Marathon of Hope, showing a side of the Canadian icon that public memory has softened into myth.

Toronto-based filmmaker Sean Menard directed the film. He wanted to capture what it actually felt like to be there in 1980, running alongside Fox as he pushed his walking prosthetic across the country. "I wasn't getting a true sense of what it was like to be there in 1980, to be along the side of the road when he was running by, exerting himself with that walking prosthetic," Menard said.

Rather than mythologize, the film focuses on Fox's authentic struggles, humility, and the impact of his journey on those closest to him—the real texture of the person, not the icon. "For me, it was just about trying to get immersed as much as we can in that time period, and really get to know who he was beyond just this Canadian icon," Menard said.

Terry Fox's brother, Darrell Fox, was the third member of the Marathon of Hope in 1980 and witnessed what he calls a miracle. He said: "I'm emotional all the time when I talk about Terry, because I was given this incredible gift of being the third member of the Marathon of Hope in 1980, and I witnessed a miracle, and now I'm able to be Terry Fox's brother every day of my life. What could be better? And this takes it to the next level with this documentary."

The Marathon of Hope has raised over a billion dollars for cancer research. Menard sees Fox's values—humility, hard work, dedication, selflessness—as deeply woven into Canadian identity. "When you travel to another country, and you tell people where you're from, and they smile. It's because you represent these things," Menard said.