The Long Haul

In March of 2020, Ben O’Donnell was Minnesota's first critical COVID-19 patient. The 38-year-old husband and father spent nearly a month battling for his life in a Minneapolis hospital’s intensive care unit. Upon his release in April, in what seemed like an unattainable stretch of the imagination to those around him, O'Donnell set his sights on training for, and completing a 140.6-mile triathlon.

  • Scott Harves
    Director
  • Scott Harves
    Editor
  • Cody Shimek
    Director of Photography
  • Robert Labay
    Post Production
  • Robert Berman
    Post Production
  • Travis Newmann
    Post Production
  • Craig T. Lazarus
    Executive Producer
  • Jose´ Morales
    Executive Producer
  • Ben Webber
    Executive Producer
  • Nick Christopulos
    Sound
  • Jason Finberg
    Sound
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Non-Fiction, Sports, Documentary
  • Runtime:
    58 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 26, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
    Minneapolis, MN
    United States
    May 10, 2022
    World Premiere
    Best of Fest
  • Crown Point International Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    June 2, 2022
    Best Picture, Best Documentary
  • American Golden Picture International Film Festival
    Jacksonville, FL
    United Kingdom
    June 3, 2022
    Best Editing
  • New York International Film Awards
    New York, NY
    United States
    June 6, 2022
    Best Documentary Feature
Distribution Information
  • ESPN
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Scott Harves

I am a Minnesota-based producer, director, and editor of short and long-form features, documentaries, and shows for ESPN.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I directed, produced, and edited this film, and the field production was captured by myself, one camera person, and one audio person. It was all filmed during the first 14-months of the pandemic.