Come celebrate the 35th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, and raise funds for cancer research.
The Wilmot Terry Fox Run is a non-competitive, family-friendly event that welcomes all abilities. There’s no entry fee or minimum pledge.
It take place Sunday, September 20 at 1pm, starting in Scott Park, New Hamburg.
Sign up online to start collecting pledges, or donate at www.WilmotTerryFox.ca.
Date: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015
Please note: Event details may be subject to change. Please re-confirm closer to Sunday September 20th.
Run Information
Scott Park – 75 Hunter Street, New Hamburg
Registration: 1:00 PM
ONE START: 1:30 PM
Route Information
Bicycle, Rollerblade, and Wheelchair accessible
Route Length
3.5KM, 8.5KM
For more information, please call 1-888-836-9786.
July 28, 1958 – Terrance Stanley Fox is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
March 9, 1977 – Terry discovers he has a malignant tumour in his right leg; the leg is amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee. The night before his amputation he reads about an amputee runner and dreams of running.
February 1979 – Terry begins training for his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research and awareness. During his training he runs over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles).
October 15, 1979 – Terry writes to the Canadian Cancer Society to support his run: “I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.”
April 12, 1980 – St John’s, Newfoundland: Terry dips his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean and begins his odyssey. He runs an average of 42 kilometres a day (26 miles) through six provinces.
September 1, 1980 – After 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles) Terry stopped running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario; his primary cancer had spread to his lungs. Before returning to BC for treatment Terry said, “I’m gonna do my very best. I’ll fight. I promise I won’t give up.”
September 2, 1980 – Isadore Sharp, Chairman and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, telegrams the Fox family with a commitment to organize a fundraising run that would be held every year in Terry’s name. He writes, “You started it. We will not rest until your dream to find a cure for cancer is realized.”
September 9, 1980 – The CTV network organizes a star-studded telethon, lasting five hours and raising $10 million.
September 18, 1980 – Terry Fox becomes the youngest Companion of the Order of Canada in a special ceremony in his hometown of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.
October 21, 1980 – Terry Fox is awarded British Columbia’s highest civilian award; The Order of the Dogwood.
November 22, 1980 – The American Cancer Society presents Terry with their highest award; The Sword of Hope.
December 18, 1980 – Canadian sports editors vote Terry Fox the Lou Marsh Award for outstanding athletic accomplishment.
December 23, 1980 – Editors of Canadian Press member newspapers and the radio and television stations serviced by Broadcast News name Terry Fox Canadian of the Year. Terry received this honour again in 1981 after his death in June.
February 1, 1981 – Terry’s hope of raising $1 from every Canadian to fight cancer is realized. The national population reaches 24.1 million; the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope fund totals $24.17 million.
June 28, 1981 – After treatment with chemotherapy and interferon, Terry Fox dies at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, British Columbia – one month short of his twenty-third birthday.
July 17, 1981 – British Columbia names a 2,639-metre (8,658 foot) peak in the Rocky Mountains, Mount Terry Fox, as a lasting symbol of Terry’s courage.
July 30, 1981 – A 83-kilometre (52 mile) section of the Trans-Canada Highway, between Thunder Bay and Nipigon, is renamed the Terry Fox Courage Highway in Terry’s honour.
July 30, 1981 – The Canadian government creates a $5 million endowment fund named The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award to provide scholarships each year in honour of Terry Fox. The award is presented to students who demonstrate the highest ideals and qualities of citizenship and humanitarian service.
August 29, 1981 – Terry Fox is posthumously inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
September 13, 1981 – The first Terry Fox Run is held at more than 760 sites in Canada and around the world. The event attracts 300,000 participants and raises $3.5 million.
April 13, 1982 – Canada Post issues a Terry Fox Stamp; prior to this, no other stamp had been issued until 10 years after the death of the honouree.
April 20, 1982 – The Marathon of Hope fund now totals $27.8 million and is allocated to cancer research projects in the Terry Fox New Initiative Programs of the National Cancer Institute of Canada.
June 26, 1982 – A 2.7-metre (9 foot) bronze statue of Terry Fox is unveiled at Terry Fox Lookout, a site just off the Terry Fox Courage Highway, east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The site overlooks Lake Superior near where Terry ended his run on September 1, 1980.
During 1983 – The Canadian Coast Guard dedicates its second most powerful ship in Terry’s name. The ship is re-commissioned in 1994.
May 26, 1988 – The Terry Fox Run becomes a Trust, independent of the Canadian Cancer Society. The organization becomes known as The Terry Fox Foundation.
February 1989 – The YTV network awards the first Terry Fox Award which honours individuals or groups who, despite physical or emotional obstacles, have contributed in a meaningful way to their community.
December 1990 – The Sports Network (TSN) names Terry Fox Athlete of the Decade; the field included Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan.
February 11, 1994 – The Terry Fox Hall of Fame is created to provide permanent recognition to Canadians who have made extraordinary personal contributions to assist or enhance the lives of people with physical disabilities.
July 1, 1998 – The Terry Fox Monument is re-dedicated in Ottawa, Ontario and is now part of the Path of Heroes; a government initiative to raise public awareness and appreciation of great Canadians that have helped shape the country.
August 28, 1998 – The Terry Fox Foundation announced a new infusion of $36 million in funds for Canadian cancer research. The new program, called The Terry Fox New Frontiers Initiative, represents a departure from any existing research programs and will target increased innovation and risk.
June 30, 1999 – Terry Fox is voted Canada’s Greatest Hero in a national survey.
January 17, 2000 – Terry is again immortalized on a Canadian postage stamp. This time he is part of the prestigious Millennium Collection of influential and distinguished Canadians.
January 27, 2003 – Time Magazine includes Terry in a feature story called “Canada’s Best”.
Other Facts