Run. Floss. Pray.
In 1980 Jay Helgerson shocked the world, becoming the first person to run a marathon a week for a year – each race completed in under three hours.
For the last ten years, his daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Helgerson, followed him with a camera in order to understand the eccentric man who raised her.
What she gets are his projected anxieties, his struggles with physical age and emotional distress, all while he endlessly trains for the Boston Marathon. But as Jay trains, the film is nearly derailed by Alexandra’s encounter with a life threatening illness.
Ultimately, AGE GROUP WINNER is an affirmation of the will to live.
Director of Age Group Winner
Alexandra Helgerson
is a filmmaker, actor and musician. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she played basketball her freshman year.
After working in publishing in New York City, she began a career in acting. Notable roles include Viola and Rosaline for the American Shakespeare Center, Vivien in VIVIEN, and Brynne in the horror-comedy HAPPY ENDING.
AGE GROUP WINNER, a ten year in the making cinema-verité documentary about her world record setting, marathon running father, is her directorial debut.
A recent survivor of sarcoma, Helgerson embraced the music of Taylor Swift after chemotherapy, and cites Swift’s songwriting as an influence for her debut album HALCYON DAYS, which will be released in the fall of 2025.
Credits
Directed, Edited, and Produced by: Alexandra Helgerson
Starring: Jay Helgerson
Co-producer: Ryan Graves
Associate Producer: Dean Vivirito
Cinematography: Alexandra Helgerson, Taylor Bradberry, David Johnson, Monica Cohen, Maggie Kirkland
Sound Design: John Dombroski
Color Grade and Mastering: Ryan Graves, Hibernation Post
Theatrical Poster: Aaron Vasquez
Title Card Design & Alt. Poster: Lilly Hoang
Credits and Titles: Maggie Kirkland
