Marathon of Hope Run For A Cure 40 Years Later

It was 40 years ago that Terry Fox began the Marathon of Hope Run. This run continued after Terry died in 1981 as a tribute to what he had started and it has raised so much money for cancer research.

Here is a repeat of a blog post from 2 years ago. I feel very strongly about this, so I felt it was important to bring it to the forefront again.

The Marathon of Hope began many years ago when Terry Fox was a young man. He lost his leg to bone cancer when he was 18 years old. On April 12, 1980 he started his Marathon of Hope for cancer research.

He was determined to run across Canada and raise $1.00 for every Canadian. He began his run on the east coast by dipping his foot in the Atlantic Ocean.

Terry ran every day for about 42 km (26 miles). Imagine running a marathon distance every day. This is hard enough for someone with two strong legs, but Terry did it with a prosthesis on his one leg. He did this for 143 days.

Terry Fox was unable to finish his Marathon of Hope. On September 1, 1980 he had to stop because cancer appeared in his lungs. He returned to his home and began treatment for the cancer. He was determined to continue fighting. On June 28,1981 his battle ended. He was no longer with us, but his legacy continues on.

Every September cities across Canada and worldwide run in Terry's memory to continue his Marathon of Hope.

Click here to find out more about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope.

Here are some free activities to use with your students if you do a Terry Fox run in your area. I know it is very important in our schools and children still learn about our Canadian hero. Click on the image above to get your copy.