1K Miles of Hope | Ep. 09: Ninth Day
July 6, 2026en
Day 9. 21 km. Midnight. A car that passed five times. And the man who held his own wake, smiling.
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1k Miles of Hope
“Running for a cure.”
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We were taught that prevention is the best approach — but the truth is harder: any one of us is in cancer's crosshairs for reasons science is still trying to decode. I run because prevention failed people I love. I am running 1,000 miles to raise funds for cancer research. If prevention doesn't save us, research must.
Contents
The Challenge
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. It does not discriminate by age, income, or geography. Nearly every family has been touched by it — and the difference between the most treatable cancers and the most deadly ones is almost entirely explained by one thing: research funding.
The Number That Changes Everything
20M
new cancer cases diagnosed per year worldwide
9.7M
cancer deaths per year — more than HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined
26,500
people die from cancer every single day worldwide
1 in 5
people develop cancer in their lifetime
400K
children and adolescents diagnosed every year
70%
of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
Source: WHO 2024 · IARC 2022
Why the Cure Is Difficult
Cancer is not one disease. It is more than 200. Each tumor carries unique mutations that evolve as treatment progresses. The target moves. Treatments stop working. That is why research never ends.
5-Year Survival Rate by Cancer Type
Thyroid
98%
Prostate
98%
Breast
90%
Colorectal
65%
Leukemia
60%
Brain
36%
Lung
28%
Pancreas (IV)
3%
5-year survival rate · Source: ACS Cancer Statistics 2026
Thyroid cancer sits at 98% because decades of research got it there. Pancreatic cancer (stage IV) sits at 3% because it has not had enough of that research yet. That gap is not destiny — it is funding. And funding is a choice.
They Survived
Kylie MinogueSinger — breast cancer (2005), survived and returned to the stage
Shannon MillerOlympic gymnast — ovarian cancer (2011)
Robin RobertsJournalist — breast cancer + myelodysplastic syndrome
Fran DrescherActress — uterine cancer, now research advocate
They Were Lost
Pau DonésJarabe de Palo singer — colorectal cancer, died June 2020, age 53
Chadwick BosemanActor — colon cancer, age 43
Patrick SwayzeActor — pancreatic cancer
David BowieMusician — liver cancer, 18 months after diagnosis
What separates both groups is not always willpower. Often it is access to research that existed — or that did not yet.
Why I Run
In 2016 and 2017, I accompany my father to the hospital and read the word "cancer" in his medical record. I freeze. I have already seen this word take four of my uncles and aunts. But this time it is different — it is him. Over time I understand that not every cancer is the same. He recovers. He just needs some small growths removed. He comes back to himself. But you do not forget having read that word next to the name of someone you love.
On my 27th birthday, I receive a call. My 26-year-old cousin died of prostate cancer. I had never met him in person. He was 26 years old.
That is why I run. Not for heroism. Because someone has to do something while they still can.
Toronto · 1980 · Wikimedia Commons
Standing on Terry Fox's Shoulders
1977. Terry Fox is 18 years old. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma — a rare bone cancer. His right leg is amputated 15 cm above the knee. During treatment, surrounded by children with cancer, he decides he has to do something.
April 12, 1980. He dips his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, Newfoundland — and starts running west. He calls it the Marathon of Hope. The goal: 42 km a day across Canada, one dollar per Canadian, to fund cancer research. He runs mostly alone, on the highway shoulder, through rain, snow and heat.
143 days. 5,373 km covered. On September 1, 1980 — near Thunder Bay, Ontario — cancer had reached his lungs. He was forced to stop. He died on June 28, 1981, one month before his 23rd birthday. He raised C$24.7 million.
Since 1981, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised over C$900 million. The Terry Fox Research Institute — founded in 2007 — funds cancer research programs across Canada and internationally, in 60+ countries. The annual Terry Fox Run is the world's largest single-day fundraiser for cancer research. 78% of every dollar donated goes directly to scientists.
What the World Looks Like With a Cure
Curing cancer would not be a medical event. It would be one of the greatest turning points in human history — economic, social, and deeply personal.
US$185T
US$185 trillion — estimated economic gain of curing cancer.
19.3M
new cancer cases diagnosed per year
10M
deaths annually — 1 in every 6 worldwide
$1.16T
spent on cancer treatment globally each year
A father who comes home.
A mother who watches her child grow.
A person who hears "cancer" — and "curable" in the same sentence.
A child who grows up knowing a grandparent who, in another world, would have died too soon.
A researcher who spent decades building toward this — and lives to see it work.
A generation that inherits a world where cancer is treatable, not a sentence.
About the Project
1K Miles of Hope is a fundraising and awareness initiative that directs every dollar raised to cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation — one of the most transparent and impactful cancer research funding programs in the world.
The mission: run 1,000 miles across 100 days. Share every step publicly. Inspire individuals and companies to become partners. Raise funds that reach scientists directly.
Running is visible. A person covering miles every day is a story people can follow, share, and believe in. Every mile logged is proof that the project is alive — and every viewer who becomes a donor turns movement into medicine.
Why now? Cancer research is chronically underfunded relative to its global burden. The technology exists to find cures we do not yet have. Someone has to do something while they still can.
How It Works
01
Run
Every day, miles are logged. Every episode is filmed and published publicly.
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02
Share
Each run reaches a growing audience across platforms and borders.
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03
Inspire
Real stories — those lost, those who survived — move viewers to act.
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04
Raise Funds
78% of every donation goes directly to cancer researchers.
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05
Transform
Each funded scientist could be the one who finds the cure.
01
Run
Every day, miles are logged. Every episode is filmed and published publicly.
02
Share
Each run reaches a growing audience across platforms and borders.
03
Inspire
Real stories — those lost, those who survived — move viewers to act.
04
Raise Funds
78% of every donation goes directly to cancer researchers.
05
Transform
Each funded scientist could be the one who finds the cure.
Live
0
DAYS
of 100
0
MILES
of 1,000
Jul 5, 2026
Last updated
MILES5.2%
01,000
Live Impact
0
Days Running
of 100 planned
0
Miles Covered
of 1,000
0
Episodes
EN + PT
0
Continents
Americas · Europe · Asia
1K+
People Inspired
across platforms
0
USD Raised
first tier: US$10K
Your Donation. Real Results.
78%
goes straight to the lab.
Terry Fox Foundation · Annual Report 2024
What comes out is not a report.
It's a treatment that doesn't yet exist — one that may save someone you know.
Your money doesn't cross borders.
Brasil · INCA — Instituto Nacional de Câncer
Canada · Terry Fox Research Institute
USA · Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
UK · Institute of Cancer Research, London
India · TATA Memorial Centre, Mumbai
Australia · Sydney Children's Hospital
Japan · National Cancer Center Japan
Germany · German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
Where Every Dollar Goes
Every allocation is public. Every dollar is tracked. terryfox.ca
78%Research
Directed to cancer scientists via the Terry Fox Foundation — verified annually by independent auditors.
14%Operations
Platform, logistics, equipment, and project coordination.
8%Communication
Content production, social channels, and public outreach.
Source: Terry Fox Foundation Annual Report · terryfox.ca
FAQ
The Road Ahead
2026
01LaunchActive
First runs, first episodes, first donors. The Marathon of Hope is live.
2026
02South America
Corporate partnerships and running community across Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
2027
03North America
Terry Fox Run integration. University endowments and tech company matching programs in the US and Canada.
2027
04Europe
International NGO alliances and research institute co-funding across the UK, Germany and France.
2028
05Global
A truly planetary initiative — 60+ countries, millions raised, and a generation inspired to run for a cure.
Partners
Why Partner With Us
Not advertising. Alignment — with impact, with purpose, with people.
Brand Visibility
Logo on all project materials, episode thumbnails, social posts, and live run videos.
ESG Impact Report
Quarterly reports with certified metrics for sustainability portfolios and B Corp filings.
Employee Engagement
Branded running challenges and donation-matching programs for your entire team.
Social Media Exposure
Co-branded posts and stories reaching audiences across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Speaking Opportunities
Invitations to project events, partner summits, and cancer research showcases.
Exclusive Impact Updates
Direct access to research outcomes, funding milestones, and impact data before public release.
Running Log
1K Miles of Hope | Ep. 08: Eighth Day
July 5, 2026en
Day 8. First day of week 2. 21 km — 17 regular + 4 to close the debt. Tonight I just want to sleep.
Read more →1K Miles of Hope | Week 01: Weekly Results
July 5, 2026en
Week 1 is done. Planned 119 km. Ran 93.4 km. Owed: 25.60 km — carried into week 2.
Read more →Videos
Become Part of the Journey
Every mile carries hope.
Every partner expands our reach.
Every donation funds a scientist.
Every share inspires someone new.