The Ballad Of Terry Fox
Updated: Sep 3
Terry Fox was a young man who was diagnosed with cancer at 18 years old and due to the type of cancer and where it was located, his right left was amputated. Once Terry recovered, he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His goal was to collect one dollar from every Canadian. He started his run in St. John's, Newfoundland and he was going to make his way back home in British Columbia. He dripped his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean before he started and was going to do the same once he got to Victoria and place his leg in the Pacific. He wanted to keep a jar of the Atlantic Ocean and pour another jar into the Pacific Ocean.
Terry’s mission was named The Marathon of Hope. Terry ran 26 miles a day which is a full marathon everyday. By the time he reached Ontario, Terry started to get recognition and people started to support him and the cause. He had met countless people from athletes to politicians. By that point in the marathon, everyone knew Terry.
At one point, Terry started to feel unwell, he developed a cough, as well as other ailments.
The physical demands of running a marathon every day took their toll on Fox's body. Apart from the rest days in Montreal taken at the request of the Cancer Society, he refused to take a day off, even on his 22nd birthday. He frequently had shin splints and an inflamed knee. He developed cysts on his stump and experienced dizzy spells. At one point, he had a soreness in his ankle that would not go away. Although he feared he had developed a stress fracture, he ran for three more days before seeking medical attention, and was then relieved to learn it was tendonitis and could be treated with painkillers.
When Terry reached Thunder Bay, Ontario, there was no question that Terry was sick. There were signs that there was something going on.
Fox rejected calls for him to seek regular medical checkups, and dismissed suggestions he was risking his future health. By late August, Fox described that he was exhausted before he began the day's run.On September 1, outside Thunder Bay, he was forced to stop briefly after he had an intense coughing fit and experienced pains in his chest. He resumed running as the crowds along the highway shouted out their encouragement. A few miles later, short of breath and with continued chest pain, he asked Alward to drive him to a hospital. The next day, Fox held a tearful press conference during which he announced that his cancer had returned and spread to his lungs. He was forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi). Fox refused offers to complete the run in his stead, stating that he wanted to complete his marathon himself.
Due to the cancer and where it was located, Terry wasn’t able to continue his marathon. Less than a year after the cancer returning, Terry passed away at the age of 22. One month before his 23rd birthday.
In the following months, Fox received multiple chemotherapy treatments, but the disease continued to spread. As his condition worsened, Canadians hoped for a miracle and Pope John Paul II sent a telegram saying that he was praying for Fox. Doctors turned to experimental interferon treatments, though their effectiveness against osteogenic sarcoma was unknown.He had an adverse reaction to his first treatment,but continued the program after a period of rest.
Fox was re-admitted to the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster on June 19, 1981, with chest congestion and developed pneumonia. He fell into a coma and died at 4:35 a.m. on June 28, 1981
As the years went by, millions of dollars have been raised for cancer research. Every year there are Terry Fox runs hosted all over Canada to raise money.
Terry Fox personally raised $24.17 million by February 1981, meeting his initial goal of collecting $1 from every Canadian alive at the time.
The Terry Fox Foundation hosts roughly 10,000 annual fundraising events, bringing together 3.5 million students and 20,000 volunteers across Canada.
These funds have supported more than 1,300 innovative cancer research projects over the last four decades.
In the 2025/2026 milestone anniversary year, community runs brought in $13 million, school runs added $15.75 million, and international events contributed $1.55 million.
The Terry Fox Foundation continues to host annual Terry Fox Runs across Canada and globally. These grassroots events routinely raise over $20 million annually to fund innovative cancer research projects.
A new documentary about Terry Fox is set to be released called Run, Terry, Run. The film details Fox's journey with losing his right leg to osteosarcoma and his run from St. John's to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
Bryan Adams wrote a song called The Ballad Of Terry Fox which will be played in the film.
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