Marking the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox’s iconic Marathon of Hope
By Cindy McGlynn
ACCIDENTALLY OVERSHOOTING a scheduled turn-off in Belleville, ON, was hardly the biggest challenge faced by the eight cyclists pedalling coast to coast in the ambitious 7,000-km Terry Fox National Ride of Hope this past summer.
The team, including Terry Fox’s younger brother Darrell Fox, was riding 220+ km a day, from Vancouver to St. John’s, to raise over $1 million for cancer research. But every change sent ripples through the daily schedule. A missed exit meant the planned lunch awaiting elsewhere along the route was packed up and delivered to the hungry cyclists, who made an impromptu pit stop in a shady churchyard.
Planning is critical to an event of this magnitude, says Nikki Rekman, coordinator for the Terry Fox National Ride of Hope. That includes planning to pivot.
LAYING GROUNDWORK
Organizing the Terry Fox National Ride of Hope began in February 2024, says Bruna Raimondo, senior director, community development, at the Terry Fox Foundation. For the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox’s iconic Marathon of Hope in 2025, the foundation wanted to create a unique event to engage Canadians in a real, physical way.
Ground support would be key and organizers knew their local resources were strong thanks to the foundation’s national network of supporters and volunteers. Rekman says they also asked local service clubs to partner in practical ways, “like literally feeding the riders when they arrived in town.”
A national ride task force, including a route director to map the cyclists’ route, was created to oversee the ride’s every detail.
To plan the stops, Raimondo says: “We asked: ‘Where are the opportunities? What makes sense from a cyclist’s perspective, a safety perspective and from the perspective of maximizing our resources on the ground?’”
A support crew, including Rekman as point person, the route director, a nurse, a bike mechanic and four additional volunteers would be with the cyclists the entire ride.
CHALLENGES
Raimondo says planning the ride included anticipating potential obstacles, such as inclement weather, rider fatigue and mechanical failure.
They strategized responses, including ways to emotionally support the riders and make up lost time. They quickly realized that excellent communication across the board (with Rekman on point) would be essential to keeping organizers, riders and volunteers informed and relaxed. Real-time social media updates would let local well-wishers know if the peloton was delayed.
PARTNERSHIPS
For the Terry Fox Foundation, relationships with financial supporters are partnerships, says Raimondo. “They work with us to help keep Terry’s legacy front and centre.”
Support for the ride included monetary donations to cover costs and in-kind donations from a key hotel partner who got involved in creative ways: “They’d have banners at the front of the hotel, or a video of Terry and photos of the riders in the lobby,” says Rekman. “They really wanted to raise the profile of the ride, which was an incredible gift
ADVICE FOR HOSTING A CROSS-COUNTRY EVENT
Audit your resources: Determine strengths, identify gaps and begin planning.
Gather ground support: Engage your provincial or local branches and contact local service clubs, too.
Create a QR code for fundraising: Make it very easy for supporters to donate.
Establish comms channels: Constant and clear communication is essential.
Get social: Share real-time event updates on social media.
Terry Fox National Ride of Hope
June 9 – July 10, 2025
Starting point: Terry Fox Plaza, Vancouver
End point: Terry Fox Mile 0, St. John’s
8 cyclists
220 km cycled per day
32 days of cycling
7,000 km cycled in total
200+ volunteers nationwide
$1.2M+ raised
Published October 2025
