The Montreal Runners are 6 Post-Secondary students who travelled in the footsteps of Canadian greatness, Terry Fox. With the goal of running from Montreal, Quebec to the Terry Fox headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia in a staggering 30 days. The runners travelled an average of 180km per day on foot with the mission of raising cancer awareness and demonstrating youth empowerment on behalf of the Fox Foundation.
We had the privilege of acting as home base for the Runners during their journey. Each member ran almost a marathon a day for the entire month of June, the team had little time to handle the extra leg work. We magnified every opportunity for the team and helped share their message.
“What this group accomplished in thirty days is an inspiration to me. Personally, I believe they are the finest example of young, vibrant philanthropists in our country and I look forward to the honour of working with them for many years.” — Wendy Kennelly, Provincial Director – Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, The Terry Fox Foundation
From day one the team had their hands full. Preparing for a campaign of this magnitude involves months of training and dedication. The first steps were an uphill battle as many businesses and early supporters had serious doubts. This challenge isn’t for the faint of heart. With the support of the Terry Fox Foundation we were able to leverage past relationships and launch the team into the spotlight.
Never being in the same location and never moving backwards causes unique problems. Journalists, news stations and even local supporters were hard-pressed to keep up with the team. Having an inflexible timeline meant brimming the Runners limited down time with as many media opportunities as they could handle. And sometimes this meant, some interviews had to literally be on-the-run.
The Montreal Runners have previous successes, with runs from Montreal to Washington, DC in 2016 and Montreal to Toronto in 2014. Saucony Canada and Lululemon jumped at the opportunity to partner with the team on the journey to British Columbia. With every step, the runners gained tremendous support; meeting the Terry Fox family, speaking at elementary schools, and making appearances at local Ford dealerships and Boston Pizzas.
