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Reliving Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope: Day 1

This is how it all began. On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox began an epic cross-country journey to raise money for cancer research. CBC Radio and Television followed Terry's Marathon of Hope from the beginning. To celebrate this historic event, we present these reports as they were first aired.

April 12, 1980: Terry Fox dips his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, Newfoundland, and his Marathon of Hope begins.

A police escort and a small crowd witness the departure of Terry and his van, which carries eight pairs of running shoes, three extra legs and various spare parts. He hopes to reach the Pacific Ocean in five or six months.
• Terry's right leg was fitted with an artificial leg made of steel and fiberglass. He tried many different ways of running but was never able to use a normal gait, settling on an awkward double step and hop.
• On the first few days of his run, Terry was delighted to find people lining up to hand him donations of money as he ran by.
Medium: Television
Program: The National
Broadcast Date: April 12, 1980
Guest(s): Terry Fox
Reporter: John McQuaker
Duration: 1:30

Last updated: April 2, 2012

Page consulted on March 26, 2013

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