Terry Fox Run returns to Aylmer for 41st annual edition

In April 1980, a young athlete from Winnipeg diagnosed with terminal cancer and wearing a prosthetic leg embarked on a journey very few people would dare enduring – running from one Canadian coast to the other.

After a grueling 143-day, 5,000 km journey of essentially running a marathon per day, the 22-year-old had to call it quits. On June 28, 1981 he passed away from osteogenic sarcoma.

Taking place on September 19, this year’s Terry-Fox Run will be held in a hybrid format due to Covid-19 – inviting people to either participate in person or in spirit.

While people are invited to gather at Parc de L’Imaginaire at the Aylmer Marina for the event’s usual 10-km circuit between 10 am and 4 pm, people are also encouraged to participate from the comfort of their convenience. The event will not include an official start time, on-site registrations, nor activities like barbecues and silent auctions.

Celebrating two dedicated Terry-Foxers from the region, this year’s event will also see Aylmer resident Ed Carrey and Gatineau resident Michel Meunier each rewarded with honourary plaques for having participated in every edition of the race since its inception – now 41 years. “They’ve never missed a year,” McRae said. “They’ve done it every single September since 1981.”

Humbled to be recognized and delighted to have been part of such an important initiative for so long, Meunier told the Aylmer Bulletin that the award means a lot to him, but reminded that it’s not something he worked for rather than a fortunate biproduct of his dedication to Terry Fox. He explained that he started participating shortly after his father died of cancer at 51 years old, a few months before the first ever Marathon of Hope.

“For me, it’s important,” Meunier said. “Since then, whether it’s raining or not, I’m always there and ready to go.”

A Hull native, Meunier has participated in various iterations of the Terry Fox Run in Ottawa, Gatineau, Hull, and Aylmer.

Currently battling prostate cancer, Meunier said it won’t stop him from jogging his usual 10-km route, and that he’s dedicated to keep running in the spirit of supporting everyone fighting cancer with him.

“It’s for a great cause,” Meunier said, emphasizing that the run does wonders to help improve cancer research development. “It’s something that I hold dearly to my heart.”

Now in his 17th year organizing the event locally, and having been part of it since its conception, McRae told the Aylmer Bulletin that he looks forward to it with great excitement every year.

While confirming that the pandemic put a damper on participation numbers to last year’s run, McRae said the event was still able to help raise around $30,000 – representing around 80 per cent of what is raised in the most profitable years. McRae said that the event typically draws around 1,000 participants in non-Covid-19 years. 

He added that students from L’École Secondaire Grande-Rivière’s International program have been instrumental to the event’s success over the years.

Running in the memory of Lee Boeyen - an Aylmer-native life-long Terry Fox fan who died in a swimming accident while vacationing in Mexico around six years ago - the team typically includes around 80 of his close family members, relatives and friends wearing themed t-shirts, who have collectively helped raise around $5,000 annually and nearly $10,000 on some occasions.

Speaking with the Aylmer Bulletin, Lee’s father, Gerry said the run is very meaningful to his family and the best way to reflect on Lee’s life, and Terry-Fox’s impact while supporting an important cause.

For more information about the event, or to volunteer, people are encouraged to call McRae at (819) 923-6535 or to email mcraeb019@gmail.com.