Hundreds race in 44th annual Terry Fox Run

Hundreds of sneakers hit the pavement and grass in Assiniboine Park on Sunday morning for the 44th annual Terry Fox Run.

The annual event, inspired by Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope more than four decades ago, raises money for cancer research in Canada.

“The biggest thing is these types of events is what helps fund this research. It funds us, it inspires us, it keeps researchers going and keep going. Keep trucking, keep running,” Sachin Katyal, a senior scientist at CancerCare Manitoba and an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Manitoba, told CTV News.

Since its inception, the Terry Fox Foundation said the runs have raised a total of $900 million. The contributions have led to innovations in care and collaborations among scientists working to find a cure for the disease.

“All the hard work of the researchers who've been funded through the Terry Fox Run for the last 40 plus years has helped me be here today,” Jennifer Graham, a breast cancer survivor, said. “The research that's gone into the treatment that I received here in Manitoba, and making breast cancer something that you can survive from.. I'm a survivor, so I'm happy to be here. And all the funding makes a huge difference.”

Terry Fox was 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and had his right leg amputated.

He started his Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980, starting on the east coast and running 5,373 kilometres before a return of cancer forced him to stop in Thunder Bay. Fox died on June 28, 1981.

This year’s theme was “No Matter What” and the local fundraising goal was $65,000.