Runners plan 10 marathons in 10 days to bring down barriers for kids
Ten marathons in 10 days in 10 provinces.
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That's the goal Mike Hanson and David Morin, longtime friends and Calgary marathon runners, have set for themselves.
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Starting May 16, the duo plan to run a marathon a day, in a different province, until May 25, where they will finish out what can only be described as a Herculean-like endeavour at the annual Servus Calgary Marathon, alongside thousands of participants.
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Along the way, the runners hope to raise $1 million for charities supporting access to sports and extracurricular activities for children. The charities are KidSport, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Autism Aspergers Friendship Society (AAFS).
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As of Friday, they have raised $740,000.
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'There's family and children out there that have barriers to entry in sports and extracurricular activities and we feel as a family that we've been really fortunate and it's kind of an obligation to try and do something about it and try to make an impact,' Hanson said.
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Hanson is a 44-year-old father to four children. The oldest two of the bunch, twins, were diagnosed with autism in 2012, bringing Hanson up close and personal with the challenges of finding sports and extracurricular activities that are inclusive of children on the spectrum.
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He said AAFS provides those opportunities for children, like his twins. 'I've seen firsthand how my son, who wouldn't be able to do a gymnastics course with typical kids, can go there. He fits well, they've got a great program to support them and he walks out of it just completely fulfilled and happy,' he said.
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'There are a lot of kids out there that could be on screens or just staying at home because there isn't an opportunity for them to experience what other typical kids can experience.'
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Morin has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters for the better part of a decade. 'The barrier there is just with kids having just a positive adult mentorship and partnership model that they might not otherwise have,' he said.
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Hanson also cited financial barriers to setting up access to activities for kids. 'Both Dave and I wouldn't be where we are in life without sport,' he said.
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A week away from the event, the two sound calm and collected, betraying not a hint of nervousness in their voices. 'We're feeling pretty good,' Morin said. Their training has tapered in the final week, allowing them somewhat of a break before the big week begins.
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Global News
25-05-2025
- Global News
2 Alberta men run 10 marathons in 10 days to raise $1,000,000 for kids' charities
Two men from Calgary ran 10 marathons in 10 days in 10 provinces in order to raise $1,000,000 for KidsSport, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Autism Asperger's Friendship Society. 'We started on Friday May 16, ten days ago in St. John's, Newfoundland,' explained Dave Morin, who made the trek with his former co-worker Mike Hanson. 'Since then we've been running a marathon at seven every morning and then getting in an RV or going to the airport and making our way west across every province in Canada.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The pair finished their journey by running in their hometown marathon on Sunday. Hanson told Global News the idea to run for charity inspired by his sons. 'Whether it's autism… or whether it's access to sport or mentorship, there's a lot of kids that get left behind,' Hanson said. 'We wanted to try and impact as many (kids) as we could.' Story continues below advertisement Each of the organizations listed will get an equal share of the total, which means so much to kids in need according to Sarah Hughes with Big Brothers Big Sisters. 'For people to stand up and raise money for a charity that they don't have too? It means so much to us,' said Hughes. 'It means so much to our kids that are going through the programs to know that complete strangers care about them.' As of Sunday morning, the pair had raised more than $900,000, with more donations earned through the day. Visit the 10in10in10 website to find out more.
CTV News
25-05-2025
- CTV News
Mission Possible: 2 Alberta runners complete 10 marathons in 10 days, raise close to $1M for youth in need
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