It has been ten years, but the annual Terry Fox Run is returning to the Confederation Bridge to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.
The Terry Fox Foundation announced Monday, the iconic span that connects New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 21.
The bridge that stretches 12.9 kilometres over the Northumberland Strait will open up to runners and walkers.
The Marathon of Hope began in 1980 when Terry Fox started his ambitious run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research.
“The very first Terry Fox run across the Confederation Bridge happened in 2005 as part of the 25th anniversary, and then it happened again in 2010 and 2015. Of course, it couldn’t happen in 2020 due to COVID, but 10 years later, we’re doing it again,” Terry’s brother Fred Fox says. He plans to be in attendance on September 21 to be a part of the event.
“His determination, courage and message of hope moved millions and laid the foundation for what has become one of the largest fundraising movements in Canadian history,” says the Foundation.
Terry arrived in P.E.I. on the ferry in late May, taking three days to cross the province but reaching a major milestone of $100,000 raised.
“As the starting point of his Marathon of Hope 45 years ago, Atlantic Canada was an incredibly special part of Terry’s journey. The return of the Terry Fox Run on Confederation Bridge in 2025 is not only a celebration of Terry’s legacy, but a heartfelt reminder of the unity and support that these communities offered him and an opportunity for Canadians to once again come together and help to finish what he started.” – Fred Fox, Terry’s older brother
Terry wasn’t able to cross the Bridge because, at the time of his run, in 1980, a ferry was the only way to cross. “I read now and then a bit of Terry’s journal, and when he took the ferry over to Prince Edward Island, he actually ran on the ferry, making up the mileage that he wasn’t getting to do,” Fred added.
Registration for the event is now open and free of charge, and you must register in advance.
Details at terryfox.org/PEI.
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