One marathon every day for 143 days. A seemingly endless stretch of Canadian roads and highways. An entire country cheering you on. That was Terry Fox’s reality as he ran across the country for the Marathon of Hope in 1980. It’s a familiar story for most Canadians, many of whom have participated in their own Terry Fox runs as children and adults. But who was the person who made that trek? Who was the man who lost his leg to cancer and decided to jog across the country? Who was Terry Fox? That’s a core question in Sean Menard’s new documentary “Run Terry Run,” which explores the iconic Canadian’s life on the road and in the van through archival footage of the Marathon of Hope. Using video taken at the time and voice-over interviews of people who knew Terry Fox, Menard wanted to immerse people in the run as it happened. “I just wanted to bring people back to 1980 as best I could,” Menard said. “I wanted to keep the viewer in that time period as much as I could. I find it to be the most immersive experience. I wanted to create that feeling. “It’s more impactful and inspiring for people when they see he was an average person. You can go out and make a difference.” The film charts Fox’s entire journey from dipping his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean to the abrupt end of his run near Thunder Bay in Ontario after cancer returned to his lungs. All 5,373 kilometres are accounted for as the documentary explores the highs and lows of Fox’s saga. “The details are getting lost,” he said. “This is what happens when we’re not doing our job as storytellers. Things will get forgotten over time. “I only wanted to talk to people in the van. Create the definitive story so details don’t get forgotten.” Menard said every part of the film surprised him as he put it together. “I was operating from a place of my own naiveté,” he said. “I didn’t know a lot about him outside of the overall idea. “I was shocked at how young he was and how little attention from the media he got early on. There’s a stark contrast when he’s in northern Ontario and he’s a celebrity at that point. That’s the thing that stands out visually.” The film, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, recently played at the Atlantic International Film Festival in Halifax. During his visit to the city, Menard was able to see the original van from the Marathon of Hope, which has been restored. “The van is almost a character in the film,” he said. “They’ve done an incredible job preserving it. I wasn’t expecting that. “It was very emotional. I just sat in there and had a moment and pictured Terry in there. That was a powerful moment for me personally.” The film will play at other Canadian festivals ahead of its wider theatrical release on Oct. 9. Menard said ticket sale proceeds will go to the Terry Fox Foundation. “It’s very fitting,” he said. “When people buy a ticket, you’re supporting what he ran for.”
