Boston Marathon Documentary 'Rachel, Breathe' Pulled from ESPN2 Broadcast

Producer Frank Marshall claims rights issues led to last-minute cancellation of the film's premiere.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 9:23am

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A striking black and white abstract illustration using bold, angular shapes to convey the themes of resilience and the transformative power of running, without any text or literal imagery.The last-minute cancellation of a documentary celebrating an inspiring Boston Marathon story leaves its creators and subject disappointed, but determined to share their message.Boston Today

Veteran producer and director Frank Marshall has claimed his documentary 'Rachel, Breathe' was pulled from ESPN2's schedule at the last minute, just an hour before its planned broadcast. Marshall said the decision was due to a rights disagreement with the network's lawyers, despite the film's producers believing the negotiations should have been 'very simple'.

Why it matters

The documentary tells the inspiring story of marathon runner Rachel Foster, who completed the Boston Marathon in 2023 just five months after waking from a coma. The film's abrupt removal from ESPN2's schedule has left the production team and its subject disappointed, as they had hoped the broadcast would bring wider attention to Rachel's remarkable journey.

The details

According to Marshall's social media posts, the 'Rachel, Breathe' documentary was originally scheduled to premiere on ESPN2 on April 20th, with a repeat airing the following day. However, the producer claimed that just an hour before the broadcast, ESPN's lawyers stopped communicating and demanded the producers 'sign it now or we are pulling the show'. Marshall provided no further details on the specific rights issue that led to the last-minute cancellation.

  • The documentary 'Rachel, Breathe' was scheduled to premiere on ESPN2 on April 20, 2026 at 7pm ET.
  • A repeat airing of the film was planned for April 21, 2026 immediately following coverage of the Boston Marathon.

The players

Frank Marshall

A veteran producer and director who directed the documentary 'Rachel, Breathe'.

Rachel Foster

The subject of the documentary, who completed the Boston Marathon in 2023 just five months after waking from a coma.

ESPN

The television network that had planned to air the 'Rachel, Breathe' documentary but ultimately pulled it from their schedule.

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What they’re saying

“I'm sad to report that RACHEL, BREATHE, will not premiere on ESPN2 today. After several days of negotiations that should have been very simple and were not about money, but rights, the ESPN lawyers stopped talking to us an hour before broadcast and said, 'sign it now or we are pulling the show'.”

— Frank Marshall, Producer and Director

What’s next

Marshall stated that he remains 'genuinely excited' for the documentary to reach audiences, and promised to share details on when and where the film will premiere as soon as that information is available.

The takeaway

The last-minute cancellation of the 'Rachel, Breathe' documentary on ESPN2 has left the production team and its subject disappointed, highlighting the complexities that can arise around media rights even for inspiring human-interest stories. This incident underscores the challenges filmmakers can face in securing distribution for their work, even with the backing of a major sports network.