MONTREAL – Over 2,000 runners took part in Montreal’s annual Terry Fox run, at the Old Port on Sunday.
Families and groups walked, or ran one to 10kilometres to raise funds for cancer research. Even dogs were welcome on the course, that spanned 2.5 km from one end of the Old Port to the other, offering participants stunning views of Old Montreal and the St. Lawrence River.
But for one participant, today’s event was extra special.
Eddy Nolan has been taking part in the run for 35 straight years, and this year marks his fourth time as a stage 4 cancer survivor.
As he was preparing for today’s 10-km run, Nolan expressed gratitude for still having the strength and will to follow Terry Fox’s dream although he conceded it wasn’t always easy.
He was loath to complain, but did mention he had been plagued by knee problems.
That didn’t stop Nolan from setting himself a lofty goal; he’s hoping to raise $35,000 to celebrate 35 years since the beginning of the Marathon of Hope.
Nolan has admired Fox, since he first saw him running across the Jacques Cartier Bridge in 1980. Nolan himself was training for the Montreal Marathon and was amazed to hear that Fox was running a marathon a day, and on just one leg.
Nolan had a tattoo of Fox inked on his leg five years ago to celebrate his 30th run and to honour the memory of a true Canadian hero.
On why he considers Fox a hero, Nolan said “He gave his life for the betterment of others. Terry Fox brought cancer research to the forefront in Canada.”
Organizers of today’s run, estimate that $150,000 was raised for cancer research. You can donate to Team Eddy Nolan until the end of October.
To learn more about Terry Fox and the annual run, you can visit the Terry Fox Foundation website.
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