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Sunday, April 12th marks 35 years since Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope.
Fox began on April 12, 1980, and 35 years later, runners are seeing how many times they can run across Canada. The Terry Fox Foundation and Running Room are inviting participants to run or walk from 1 km to 10 km in different locations in Canada to help raise awareness for Terry’s dream. As of early this week, over 3000 people had pledged to run over 35,000 kilometres.
To put that distance in perspective, the Trans-Canada Highway between St. John’s Newfoundland and Victoria, B.C., is 7,821 km.
“Terry was a runner and a competitor and we are honoured to get out on April 12th and see how many times we can run across Canada,” says Running Room founder John Stanton. “Terry realized that anything is possible if you try, and we want to celebrate this legacy. We hope all participants will take a moment to reflect on the effort Terry had to make in every kilometre of the 5,373 he ran and to continue in his footsteps to raise funds for cancer research, with each step bringing us closer to a cure.”
Terry’s older brother, Fred Fox, is also excited for this celebration. “The vision that Terry had for the future and the monies raised for cancer research has made a huge difference over the years for those diagnosed with cancer,” said Fox, Manager of Supporter Relations for the Terry Fox Foundation. “We all know someone touched by cancer and now people are living longer than ever before. It’s great to have the support of Running Room to kick off our celebration from coast to coast.”
Registration is free, and the marathon is starting at Running Room locations across Canada, including the one at Orchard Plaza in Kelowna. The event starts at 8:30 a.m.
For more information or to register, check out Running Room’s website.
Photo Credit: Gail Harvey, courtesy of The Terry Fox Foundation
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