Director Nicolas Heller Helms 26.2 - A Heartfelt Ode to the TCS New York City Marathon
Co-produced by m ss ng p eces and New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) studio East 89th St Productions, and directed by Nicolas Heller, aka NewYorkNico to his millions of social media followers, 26.2 follows four tenacious New Yorkers in the lead-up to the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon. A longtime superfan of the race, Heller was inspired by the individual stories and motivations of each runner (and walker) who chooses to participate in one of the world’s largest annual marathons.
In 2023, NYRR, the nonprofit that “runs” New York City producing 60 annual adult and youth races including the TCS New York City Marathon, approached Heller to cover the finish line. His candid images and videos amassed more than ten million views across his social channels. Moved by the entire experience, Heller proposed a film collaboration for the 2024 race. All four of the runners profiled in the film are a part of NYRR’s Team Inspire, which is composed of 26 runners hand-selected by the organization every year for their inspiring stories, full of grit and resolve.
Each battling serious odds, the race participants' unlikely paths to the marathon span serious health challenges and obstacles, highlighting the transformative power of long-distance running. Joel “Whammy” Kaufman is a high school math teacher in Queens, walking his seventh New York City Marathon. He was initially inspired to join the race after a dear friend, who happened to love running, was diagnosed with leukemia. He holds the distinction of being the final official finisher of the 2023 race. Johnny Pye, a stroke survivor from the Bronx, has been running for five years. Running his first marathon, Pye aims to bring representation and awareness to stroke survivors. LaDawn Jefferson is a breast cancer survivor, mother, and Police Administrative Aide for the NYPD. Shaquille “Shaq” Roberts survived a house fire with burns on more than 40% of his body. He’s the founder of the Bronx Burners Run Club and is an immigrant from St. Kitts.
“The marathon is my favorite day in New York City,” said Heller. “I’ve been going for many years and taking whatever photos and videos I can to document the people of my city. I was inspired to go deeper and create a film that honored people’s motivations and stories and celebrate the community that the marathon creates.”
“The four incredible stories spotlighted in 26.2 are a snapshot of the more than 55,000 stories that make up the inspirational TCS New York City Marathon field each year,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, New York Road Runners CEO. “Seeing these athletes journey through all five boroughs of New York City and cross the finish line is part of what makes Marathon Sunday the best day of the year, in the best city in the world. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Nicolas and m ss ng p eces to tell these stories that highlight the transformative power of running through our East 89th St Productions studio.”
The screening, held near the finish line and NYRR offices at the AMC Lincoln Square, marked the start of marathon race week. Co-hosted by Tribeca Membership, the more than 200-person audience included Tribeca members, the cast and their families and friends, producers and crew, NYRR staff, and members of the press. Introduced by Ben Thompson, VP, Shorts Programming at Tribeca Festival, with a panel following, moderated by Simmelkjaer, asking the cast members and Heller about the film and their experience.
The film is distributed by Tribeca Films, and powered by Giant.
Jake Scharbach and Nick Ace created the visually striking poster for the film.
