Marathon of Hope

The Marathon of Hope is a name given to the cross-Canada run undertaken by cancer patient Terry Fox in 1980. It is commemorated each year with the Terry Fox Run which is an international event that raises money for cancer research.

The initial goal of the run was to raise $1 million to be used for cancer research. After running through Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, Terry changed his goal from raising $1 million to raising $1 for each person in Canada at the time ($24 million).

Terry Fox intended to run across the entire country; from St. John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC along the Trans Canada Highway - a distance of almost convert|8000|km|mi, at a pace of convert|42|km|mi|1 a day. The Marathon would have taken 185 days of running, had he maintained his pace.

Terry Fox sought no personal or financial gain for his efforts. His run was also a 'true' run across Canada; not taking the fastest route, he made sure that he would pass by the most populous regions of the country. The goal of the run was to raise money and awareness for cancer research. In order to get the Canadian Cancer Society to support him, he had to get corporate sponsorship for the run.

Unfortunately, on September 1, 1980, his run stopped just northeast of Thunder Bay. Poor breathing prevented him from running further; Terry visited a local hospital, where he discovered that his cancer had spread to his lungs. Due to his poor health, from both the return of the cancer and the grueling pace of his running, he had to stop his journey across Canada. By this point, he had run for 143 consecutive days totalling convert|5374|km|mi.

He returned to British Columbia for further medical treatment. While in hospital, Terry received a telegram from Four Seasons hotel executive Isadore Sharp (who had recently lost his own son to cancer) telling him that his Marathon of Hope would be continued in his honour with an annual run, and that they would not stop until Terry's dream of beating cancer was realized.

Today, a life sized bronze statue of Terry Fox in motion is located in a memorial park along the Trans-Canada Highway – the spot where he had to end his run.

Legacy

Steve Fonyo, an amputee and cancer survivor who was inspired by Fox, embarked on the "Journey for Lives" in 1984. Unlike Fox, however, Fonyo successfully traversed the entire country, reaching the Pacific Ocean on May 29, 1985.

The Terry Fox Run, an annual marathon held in many Canadian cities to raise money for cancer research, continues to be held today.

External links

* [http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/home/default.asp?s=1 Terry Fox Run Site]
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-69-71/life_society/terry_fox/ CBC Archives: television and radio spots on Terry Fox]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/fox_terry/ CBC Archives: The Legacy of Terry Fox - 25 Years Later]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/fox-terry.html CBC: The Greatest Canadian - Terry Fox]
* [http://www.terryfoxrun.org/images/english/marathon/map.gifRoute Map]