Making the new ESPN documentary The Endless Race became very personal for Emmy-winning ESPN Feature Producer Jen Karson-Strauss.
The film follows three New York City Marathon runners whose lives have been shaped by substance use disorder, whether through their own recovery or that of a loved one, as they train for and compete in the iconic race.
The project was inspired by filmmaker Karson-Strauss’s own experience with grief and uncertainty following her brother’s relapse after a long battle with substance use. Seeking connection amid her own family’s struggle, Karson-Strauss found herself drawn to the stories of others navigating similar challenges, ultimately creating a film that reflects the far-reaching impact of the substance use crisis on families across the country.
The film originated within ESPN Films’ Development team and was produced by the ESPN Investigative & Enterprise Unit.
The Endless Race makes its streaming debut Thursday on Hulu, followed by a primetime television premiere on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 9:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the New York Marathon airs earlier that day on ESPN2 from 8:30-11 a.m.
“This isn’t the film I set out to make; it’s the film I needed to make,” said Karson-Strauss, who has produced numerous E60 documentaries as well as other features since coming to ESPN in 2017. “I just didn’t know it at the time.
“I began this project intending to tell the stories of people in recovery, hoping it would ease my isolation and help others better understand families like mine. My goal was to shift the narrative, to show the human side of addiction, and to connect with people who wouldn’t judge the things I carried in silence. Being around those with shared experiences gave me the space I didn’t know I needed.”
Karson-Strauss, who played collegiate soccer at Pepperdine University, actually ended up training for and running in the marathon in 2024 while working on the project, and then ran it again in 2025.
“As filming progressed, our shared histories pulled me in,” she said. “Conversations grew more personal, and eventually, despite it being out of my comfort zone, I stepped into a role I never had before in my time at ESPN.
“This film is about addiction, yes, but it’s also about family, love and the messiness of healing.”
