NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Filmmaker Nicolas Heller was kicked out of the TCS New York City Marathon finish line area in 2022 after sneaking in to film for his New York Nico Instagram and TikTok accounts. 

Three years later, Heller premiered 26.2, a documentary highlighting four marathon runners who ran the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon as part of Team Inspire — a group of 26 runners selected by the New York Road Runners for their compelling stories. The 35-minute short film premiered Monday night at AMC Lincoln Square 13 to an audience of over 200.

Heller has amassed 3 million social media followers spotlighting the lives of some of NYC’s most unique characters, like the Green Lady of Brooklyn; and local business owners, like the mother-son team behind Dolly’s Ices ice cream shop. He launched media company Heller Films in 2015 to create documentary projects and storytelling-style campaigns for Nike, the New York Knicks, Calvin Klein and more.

26.2 follows breast cancer survivor LaDawn Jefferson; stroke survivor Johnny Pye; burn survivor and founder of the Bronx Burners run club, Shaquille Roberts; and Joel Kaufman, who was named the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon’s “Official Final Finisher” after walking to the finish line.

Campaign sat down with Heller to break down the behind-the-scenes of creating 26.2, from the day he snuck into the TCS New York City Marathon in 2022 to the moment the documentary’s spotlighted runners saw 26.2 for the first time. 

How’d you get from sneaking into the TCS NYC Marathon finish line in 2022 to premiering 26.2?

“I’ve been covering the marathon for longer, but it wasn’t until 2022 that I went to the finish line. I was like, ‘I need to see what’s happening over there.’ I snuck in because I didn’t have the proper credentials, and was kicked out within 15 minutes. But within those 15 minutes, I got incredible footage which I turned into an Instagram post that did super well.

Then, New York Road Runners got wind of it, and invited me back officially in 2023. They gave me two-and-a-half hours at the finish line. I made another video  — on my phone, the same way as the year before — capturing the emotions as runners crossed the finish line, and that Reel took off as well. 

With these two successful videos I took at the finish line, I asked New York Road Runners if they’d be interested in doing something bigger. I’d been filming quick clips of people crossing the finish line — you see this wave of emotion over their faces and body, but with no context. I was personally curious about every single person I’d filmed, like, ‘What’s their story? How did they get to this point?’ So I pitched it to New York Road Runners like that. I was like, ‘I’d love to make a film that follows the journey of an everyday, amateur runner training for the New York City marathon.’ And they were down.”

What compelled you to spotlight these particular runners?

“We knew we wanted three or four individuals. We did a talent search process with a call to action, and had people submit their stories. We got a list of 30 to 40 runners and narrowed that down by interviewing a bunch of people, which turned into the four people you see in the film. 

Interviewing all of them was great, because I got to get a vibe check from them and listen to their stories. Each one of them has incredible stories you don’t hear every day. I would argue that every single person who crosses that finish line has an amazing story to tell, because they’re all running for a reason. They don’t wake up one day and say, ‘I think I’m going to run a marathon.’ It’s usually for something incredible — specifically with these four runners. 

You have Johnny Pye, who’s a stroke survivor. He was paralyzed for quite some time, then started regaining mobility. In the process, he lost his family, job and house — he decided to stop eating and start running with the hope he would just die. He didn’t want it to look like suicide, so it wouldn’t shame his kids. He had nothing left to live for, but in the process of running, he realized he liked to run — it made him feel good. 

Then you have LaDawn, a cancer survivor; Shaquille, who survived a house fire and is now raising money for a running team he started in the Bronx; and Joel, a retired math teacher who finished in dead last place, but that’s not stopping him from running another marathon. They all have striking stories to tell.”

What was your most meaningful moment of filming?

“I know exactly what that moment was. It was the first time I’ve ever cried on set. After his main interview, Johnny told us he planned on giving his father his medal — his father was the only one who believed in him and was there for him throughout his recovery. So I made sure we stuck with Johnny at the end, and when he gave his medal to his father, it was this insane moment. Me and my entire crew just broke down. His dad, this macho New Yorker, Italian-American dude, just broke down and started crying, telling Johnny how much he loves him and how proud he was of him. There were definitely a lot of great moments, but that one really stuck with me.”

How does covering the TCS NYC Marathon align with the niche and goals of New York Nico?

“The marathon is my favorite day of the year. From a documentarian perspective, there’s so much to capture; but also, it’s just a rare day in New York City where everyone’s there for each other. You especially see that at the finish line. If someone physically can’t make it across the finish line, you’ll have three strangers — who might be running to make a specific time themselves — stop what they’re doing to help this person across the finish line.

It also fits into what I do, because it shows the beauty of New Yorkers. I know my thing is New York Nico, but what I’m primarily interested in is finding interesting talent and characters. I could do that anywhere, but I just happen to be in New York. The four people we profiled are interesting talents, and I feel they fit in nicely with what I’m doing with New York Nico — they could all be on my page individually if I chose to do that.”

What’s the biggest thing you learned creating 26.2, and what do you hope viewers take away?

“I’ve made a few short documentaries, but most people know me for my short, under 60-second clips you see on Instagram. Those generally don’t take me long — I’ll do them in a day — but I’ve been working on 26.2 for a year. As someone who loves doing things quickly, it was nice to have a project I didn’t have to rush. I definitely want to do more of that. 

In terms of what I want the audience to take away, I’m hoping they can see the parallels between this film — which is a 35-minute film that involved a crew — and my work on Instagram. In terms of a message, it sounds cliché, but I hope people watch this and see that anything is possible. These people have overcome so much and are still going through so much — yet they’re completing 26.2 miles of a marathon. Whether you’re a runner or not, you can apply that to anything in life.”