Northern B.C. runner set to embark on 144 km ultra-marathon for cancer

“I wanted to break it into five K’s, because even if you’re not an active runner, even if you don’t engage in physical activity a lot of the time, five K is a pretty manageable distance for a lot of people, even if you just want to walk it,” he said.

Noah explained his father Markus was diagnosed with bladder cancer in February of 2020, and last year he had to be rushed to Prince George for care. Noah stayed in Prince George with his father for three weeks, and during this time he would go on daily runs, and in the process of doing so he learned how personal running had become to him.

“I found myself in a pretty dark place, obviously, like knowing how close you were to losing your father and how much struggle we were going through, I found myself in a really dark place there, and it wasn’t until I realized that every day I was going for a run, and it was in that one hour run that I would realize that my negative thoughts had dissipated (…) and it was in that moment that I really realized how powerful running can be,” he said.

Having realized that running became so closely connected to him and his father, Noah explained this ultra-marathon is meant to be not only a fundraiser, but also a way to honour his father’s memory and show Markus the strength he gives Noah as he embarks on such a large journey.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about making a change and doing something positive not only for my father, but for all the people that I had seen along the way that had struggled and didn’t have a choice,” he said.

Last year’s run saw Noah far surpass his fundraising goal of $2500, as he said more than $6000 was raised. This year, the goal is $7500, with all the money going straight to the Canadian Cancer Society. He invites anybody interested to join him on 5 kilometre streches, and added there are virtual options too if you would like to support the run but aren’t in the area.

“I’ve actually been taking a list, because not everybody lives in my area. A lot of people would love to make the journey to come help me out, but it’s just not realistic. So what I’ve done is I’m also doing virtual runners, I’ve got a list of over 35-40 runners right now, virtually,” he said.

If you would like to join the run and/or financially contribute to his cause and the fight against cancer, you can visit his website here. He added he also has an Instagram you can visit, where you can see his journey and reach out to him at any time.

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by Tommy Osborne

Northern B.C. runner set to embark on 144 km ultra-marathon for cancer

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