45 years after Marathon of Hope, Terry Fox’s legacy is still running strong

In April,1980, Terry Fox embarked on a one-man mission to raise money for cancer research in his cross-country Marathon of Hope. For 145 days he ran until the unthinkable happened and lung cancer was detected, forcing him to end his courageous journey across Canada.

Now, 45 years later, communities across the nation will gather on Sept. 14 to keep the marathon alive. Here in Stratford, the local community will gather at Upper Queen’s Park (near the picnic tables) to share their own memories of Fox or their own stories of how they have been touched by cancer. This year mark’s the 40th anniversary of Stratford’s own Terry Fox Run.

“It’s amazing we still remember. We’re still honouring Terry, we’re still looking for a cure. We’ve made great strides, a lot of children’s cancers are easy peasy now,” explained Rena Spevack, organizer of the Stratford Terry Fox Run for the last 26 years.

The Stratford run is non-competitive with no entry fee, where participants can run, walk, rollerblade or even skateboard. The run can be as long or as short as seen fit, starting anytime after 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The community has always shown great support inviting family, friends and colleagues to “team up for Terry.”

“The kids are what really brings it forward because they learn about Terry in school,” said Spevack. “As long as the kids know who he is and how important he is – he’s a Canadian hero – it will carry forward. We’ve had kids that have overcome cancer … We’ve had multiple generations, where perhaps the grandparents saw Terry and they come out with their children and grandchildren. Hockey teams have come out to support Terry Fox with a run.”

Last year there were approximately 100 people that came out. Participants can register online and donations can be made too, with an immediate tax receipt issued. The 2024 run raised in excess of $16,000 and the schools raised $15,700. There is not a fundraising goal declared as the mandate is to remember Terry Fox and to share his legacy.

“We just encourage people to come out. Even if you are not making a donation, then just come out, and let’s talk about Terry and what he was dreaming about, and keep his memory alive,” said Spevack.

All funds raised locally go to support Canadian cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation. Research such as genome targeted therapies have progressed greatly. Since the inception of the Stratford Terry Fox run 40 years ago over $412,000 has been raised.

Those interested in registering ahead of time can do so by visiting the website run.terryfox.org/92895 for Stratford specific registration and donations.