Latest news with #NoahAllison
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Economic Times
BC man runs seven marathons in seven days to honor late father, raise cancer funds
Noah Allison runs along Highway 16 during his seven-marathon challenge in northern British Columbia Synopsis Noah Allison is running seven marathons in seven days across northern BC to honor his father, Markus, who passed away from cancer. This grueling challenge, called Miles for Markus, raises funds for the BC Cancer Foundation's Patient Relief Fund. Allison, who once weighed over 300 pounds, finds strength in his father's memory and the outpouring of support from donors. ADVERTISEMENT The wind comes in sharp from the Pacific as Noah Allison makes his way down Highway 16, the long, winding stretch that connects Prince Rupert to Terrace. This is the third straight day he's run 42.2 kilometers, the length of a marathon, and his body is starting to protest. 'I won't lie, it's been tough,' Allison told Global News while running. 'I've never felt the pains I've felt over the past few days before.' This is Allison's third Miles for Markus fundraiser, but this year's effort is his most ambitious, with seven marathon distances in seven consecutive days. His route covers the scenic but punishing northern BC terrain, taking him from Prince Rupert to Terrace and back, with each day bringing fresh challenges of fatigue, weather, and mental strain. The event is named in memory of his father, Markus Allison, who died in 2023 after a battle with cancer. Markus was present for the very first fundraiser, standing on the roadside, cheering and high-fiving his son at every opportunity.'I came around and he saw me still running and still moving,' Allison recalls. 'You could see the pride radiating from him. The last thing he ever said to me was how proud he was.' ADVERTISEMENT Just a few years ago, he weighed more than 300 pounds and led a sedentary lifestyle. That began to change when he entered an eight-kilometer race. 'I remember him saying, 'Eight kilometers, that's so far,'' Allison says, smiling at the memory. The transformation into an ultra-distance runner came gradually, fueled by determination and a growing sense of purpose. ADVERTISEMENT Running also became a form of therapy during his father's illness, a way to clear his head between long hours at the hospital. The Miles for Markus events have now raised just over CAD $14,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation's Patient Relief Fund, which supports patients with the day-to-day costs of treatment, travel, and recovery. ADVERTISEMENT Donations arrive steadily through Allison's Instagram account, @healingthroughendurance. 'Every time I look at my phone, I've got a new email notification for a new donation,' he says. 'It's really been going well, and it's humbling to see that kind of support.' Allison believes his father would be both proud and amused by his latest challenge. 'I know him well enough to know he would just go, 'You are absolutely insane,'' he says with a laugh. 'My mom and I have a good laugh thinking about how crazy he would think I was for doing this one.' ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
CBC
5 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
This Indigenous ultra-runner is running a marathon a day for seven days in memory of his father
A 28-year-old Tahltan-Tsimshian ultra-runner is running a marathon a day — for seven days straight. Noah Allison is running the third annual Miles for Markus campaign in memory of his father Markus, who died of bladder cancer in September 2023. Allison will be running about 300 kilometres this week from Prince Rupert to Terrace and back to raise funds for the B.C. Cancer Foundation's patient relief fund. With the support of a road crew and fellow runners who will join him on the way, Allison said the community around the event has grown every year. "Everyone I know has been touched by cancer in some way, so I know it's a really important issue to raise money for," he said. On his runs, Allison sometimes wears a Terry Fox basketball jersey. "I wear it with my cedar hat. They say it's my Indigenous Forrest Gump outfit," Allison said with a laugh. "So I'll say, hey, I'm Forrest Gump's Indigenous cousin, Cedar Gump." Allison's journey started Saturday and will run till Friday. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did your running journey start? I started my running journey as a way of supporting my best friend Britt. She started training for the New York Marathon. I wasn't in love with it until, unfortunately, I was in Prince George with my father and I could see the end was near. It became my daily escape from that dark world. I would be spending most of my time at the hospital and at his bedside and having a lot of tough times. I found that during my run, that was when I was having positive thoughts and actually dreaming of what I wanted to do in the future, rather than just thinking about how awful this time was. What was the first fundraiser like? As my father's health started to decline, I decided to go all in. I decided to run to Terrace from Prince Rupert. It's 144 kilometers away. I decided that was achievable, but also just crazy enough that I knew it would garner the reaction of: 'Like, what!? You're running to Terrace?' Because Rupertites drive to Terrace all the time, and it's an hour-and-a-half drive to get there. I knew it would have that crazy reaction that would help with fundraising. And I also knew that I could do it. The first two times you ran from Prince Rupert to Terrace. Now you're running to Terrace and back. Why the decision to double the journey? I've always loved to push the boundaries, and it's something that's inspired a lot of people. It's inspired me. And I've learned as I've grown through my running journey that if I haven't found my boundary yet, and if I thought that was impossible and I did it, then I need to ask what could the next step be? When I first started running, I thought a half-marathon was crazy and then a marathon was crazy. And I've now done a couple 50Ks, my longest being 52 kilometres, and I've kept moving forward still. I made it last year, and I was honestly feeling pretty good. So I decided, hey, why not? Why not try to go for it? What do you hope that people take away from your story, especially those that may be going through grief or caring for someone with an illness like cancer? Find something to be passionate about, as tough as it is. To keep moving forward. In life and in my long runs, I find inspiration from others and from the thought of Markus's strength and how far I've gotten with cancer fundraising. Those types of things have kept me going through the tough times. What do you think your dad would think now that you're continuing on this journey? I couldn't imagine what he would think about this. The promotion side of things has been crazy. The community has grown at each and every event — the number of people that have reached out to me, my mom, and just everyone involved. It's just been a whirlwind and I just couldn't imagine what he would have thought, because he was moved to tears daily just when he was out there the first year, and it's only gotten bigger since. What was your father's relationship to music? My father was a lifelong musician. Whenever you saw him throughout his life, he had his guitar with him. When he got diagnosed with cancer, he unfortunately had his leg amputated, which came with a lot of phantom pains. I remember so vividly the one day he said the only time that he's 100 per cent pain free is when he's playing music. … After his amputation, he wrote his song "One Good Leg." It was a personal song that he wrote himself, and he recorded it himself, did all the instruments, did everything. Then I helped him put it on Spotify and all platforms in the last week of his life. I can feel Markus with me in spirit every time I put on my running shoes, and I know for a fact he'll be out there every day.
