Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope

The night before his right leg was amputated in 1977, 18-year-old Terry Fox read about an amputee who ran the New York Marathon.

That article and the other patients he met during his own cancer treatment inspired the Marathon of Hope, an incredible cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research.

On April 12, 1980, Fox with a support team in a van following behind him set out on his runafter training for 15 months.

The Marathon of Hope started with Foxdipping his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean, in St. John's, N.L. He hoped to finish in the fall by stepping into the Pacific.

The determined Fox vowed"to give it everything I possibly can," telling CBC as seen in the video belowthatif he couldn't do it, nobody could.

Terry Fox begins his run across Canada

45 years ago

Duration 0:44

Terry Fox states his determination to run across Canada and raise money for cancer research. Aired on April 12, 1980 on CBC's The National.

By the time he reachedOntario that summer, attention and momentum were building, as heard duringhis weekly telephone phone check-in with CBCRadio's Sound of Sportson June 29, 1980.

Host Fred Walker covered the run for radio from the start, and finally met Fox face-to-face in Torontoa month later.

In a July 27 interview for Sound of Sports, Walker spoke to Foxabout the young man'sdecision to start the run and how Fox altered his technique to compensate for his artificial leg.

Foxstressedthat he was stillpositive in his outlook about finishing, and how that washelped by the momentum of support from Canadians.

Hoped to have been 'an inspiration'

Sadly, his run came to an abrupt end at the start of September, near Thunder Bay, Ont.

Speaking to reportersand with his family beside him, an emotional Fox announced that he had to give up and return home for treatment. The cancer had spread to his lungs.

"I hope that what I've done has been an inspiration, " he said. "People will take off and continue where I left off here."

The end of the run for Terry Fox

44 years ago

Duration 0:40

Terry Fox tells Canadians that he's been forced to end his marathon run across the country. Aired Sept. 2, 1980 on CBC's The National.

Fox died on June 28, 1981, just a month shy of his 23rd birthday.

In tribute to the late runner, on Sept. 13, 1981, the first annualTerry Fox Run was held.

People of all ages and abilities participated, including his wheelchair basketball teammateRick Hansen, and Dick Traum, the New York businessman whose story had first inspired Fox.