Imagine running a marathon: 26.2 miles.  Now imagine running one every single day for 143 days, on a prosthetic leg.  
 
Canadian hero, Terry Fox did exactly that. His journey to run across Canada for cancer research began 12th April 1980, when he dipped his prosthetic leg in the Atlantic at St. John’s, Newfoundland. By the time he was forced to stop on 1st September, he had covered 3,339 miles and captured the hearts of a nation.  Through the Marathon of Hope, Fox transformed public perceptions of disability, mobilised Canadians behind cancer research and created an enduring legacy as a symbol of courage and collective purpose. 
 
Fox was an ordinary young man in many ways, except one. When it came to athletics, he was competitive, hard-working and fiercely determined. In 1977, he received a life-changing diagnosis when osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer, was found in his right leg, requiring amputation. Within three weeks, Fox was walking with an artificial leg.  During sixteen months of chemotherapy, he became frustrated with the lack of cancer research and inspired by others who defied physical limits, such as Dick Traum, the first amputee to complete the New York City Marathon. Fox committed to a training programme with the personal goal of completing a marathon.  Training was painful, with extra pressure on his stump requiring him to hop-step on his good leg as the springs in his artificial leg needed time to reset after each step.  
 
In 1979, Fox completed a17-mile race ten minutes behind the last competitor.  His determination sparked the admiration of fellow runners who cheered and cried as he crossed the finish line, it was an early sign of the emotional connection people would feel to him. Encouraged, Fox formulated a plan to run across Canada, with the goal of raising $1 million for cancer research.  The Canadian Cancer Society backed the effort once Fox had sponsors and medical clearance.  Ford donated a camper van, Imperial Oil provided fuel and Adidas contributed running shoes. Fox was adamant that no corporate sponsors were to benefit commercially from his run.  
 
In the era before social media, Fox’s progress spread through word of mouth and local news. In Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland,10,000 residents presented him with a cheque for $10,000 – one dollar for every resident. Fox then raised his goal to $21 million – one dollar for every Canadian.   
 
By the time he reached Montreal, $200,000 had been raised and key benefactors emerged. Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Seasons Hotels pledged $10,000 to the marathon and challenged 999 other businesses to do the same.  
 
Fifty-five days later Fox reached Ottawa and was welcomed by Prime Minister Trudeau. At a CFL football game, his ceremonial kick-off drew a standing ovation from the 16,000 fans. The Canadian Cancer Society asked him to stay until Canada Day, 1st July to build awareness during the national holiday. Momentum was building for the Marathon of Hope.  The image of Terry Fox, alone on the road, running with a distinctive gait on a prosthetic leg in a t-shirt proclaiming the Marathon of Hope was inspiring Canadians. 
 
On 1st September near Thunder Bay, Fox experienced an intense coughing fit and extreme pain and was taken to hospital. The next day, he announced that the cancer had returned and spread to his lungs. Even though his run had ended, the Marathon of Hope continued as a collective endeavour to ‘carry the torch’ for cancer research.  
 
Fox had raised nearly $2 million by then.  A Canadian TV network organized a nationwide telethon. This five-hour event raised $10.5 million. The accolades were coming daily; he received the Order of Canada and was named the Canada Newsmaker of the Year. 
 
Fox continued specialised treatment over the next ten months.  He was admitted to hospital for the last time on 19th June and died 28th June 1981 at the age of 22.  Flags were lowered to half-mast across Canada as the nation mourned.  
 
Fox’s legacy is profound. Through his determination, he challenged the idea that disability automatically meant limitation. What he was able to accomplish was a testament to endurance, resilience and hope, inspiring people to confront their own challenges. 
 
He also brought a nation together. That legacy continues through the work of Fox’s family who created the Terry Fox Foundation. Fox’s commitment to ethical fundraising and his desire for inclusivity are foundational to their mission. Annual Terry Fox runs are held in over 650 cities and towns in Canada, while thousands of schools incorporate runs into their curricula.  Communities in over 60 countries participate in Terry Fox runs. Volunteer-driven, the runs are non-competitive, inclusive (any age, any modality), have no registration fees and contributions are strictly optional. Funds raised internationally stay with the local groups.   
 
Fox’s vision of ethical fundraising shifted the focus from corporate galas to grassroots participation and continues to provide an innovative alternative for charities. As of today, over $1 billion has been raised worldwide for cancer research in the name of Terry Fox.  In 2007, the Terry Fox Foundation streamlined investment for cutting-edge cancer research by establishing a separate research arm. The Terry Fox Research Institute invested over $60 million for cancer research in Canada during the 2024-25 fiscal year. 

 
The success of Fox’s Marathon of Hope cannot be viewed simply through financials.  Community collaboration for cancer research has endured as the gold-standard for fundraising. Fox had transformed his goal from finishing the run to creating an eternal, living legacy of community collaboration, research investment and a paradigm shift in how society views disability. 
 
Fox never intended to be famous or a hero. He said, “To me, being famous myself is not the idea of the run, and it wasn’t from the very beginning. To me, the only important part is the Marathon of Hope.”  Yet to quote Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero’s Journey, “a hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself”.  Through that definition, Terry Fox was indeed a hero.

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