The Terry Fox Run is a fundraising event for cancer research in mid-September at various venues in the Lower Mainland including Vancouver’s Stanley Park.
In 2025 the runs happen on Sunday, September 14th.
If you like running races, other events in the fall that you might be interested in are Richmond’s Big Pirate Run in September and Burnaby’s Rubber Ducky Run & Half Marathon in October. In November there’s also the Boundary Bay Marathon and the Vancouver Historic Half. Just in time for Christmas, the Big Elf Run takes place at Stanley Park in December.
This year’s Terry Fox Runs take place at the following locations and times:
Note: Run times are subject to change. For most runs you can register as an individual or as a team.
Terry Fox Runs take place in other communities as well. Click Run Locations for more details.
Terry Fox Run in Port Coquitlam
The Terry Fox Run is especially meaningful in the City of Port Coquitlam. Why? Because it’s where Terry Fox lived and went to school before he became famous and ran across Canada. This particular event celebrates its 45th year in 2025!
The Terry Fox Hometown Run in Port Coquitlam starts at 10:00 am at Hyde Creek Rec Centre. Registration begins at 8:00 am.
To learn more about this event, see our Terry Fox Hometown Run article.
Stanley Park Terry Fox Run
The main Terry Fox Run in Vancouver takes place at Stanley Park. At this venue thousands of people turn out to watch, cheer, walk or run. Registration typically starts at 8:00 am and the 10 km and 3 km runs happen between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm.
Dogs are welcome and the run is also suitable for people with bicycles and wheelchairs. The event starts at Ceperley Park which is the grassy area near Second Beach in Stanley Park.
Note: All run times and details are subject to change. See our article about the Stanley Park Terry Fox Run for more details.
Terry Fox Run in North Vancouver
The event at Stanley Park is just one of many similar runs that take place in communities across the Lower Mainland. A run on the North Shore (when in-person) typically takes place at Inter River Park. It’s usually hosted by the Rotary Club of North Vancouver.
After taking place as a virtual event last year, the 2025 run returns to an in-person format. As of early September, exact time and location details for this year are to be confirmed.
Click North Vancouver Terry Fox Run for more details about the event in general.
Terry Fox Run in Port Moody
The run in Port Moody happens at Rocky Point Park. This event typically attracts a fair number of people and includes speakers and live music at the start. Participants can choose between three different routes ranging from 2 kms to 10 kms long.
Click Terry Fox Run in Port Moody for more details.
Who was Terry Fox?
Terry Fox was a legendary cross-country runner and is considered a national hero in Canada. After being diagnosed with cancer in 1977 and losing a leg to this disease, Terry decided to run across Canada in 1979 with his prosthetic leg and to show there were no limitations to his disablement. He called his run Marathon of Hope and the intention was to raise funds for cancer research.
A year after setting off on his marathon running journey, Terry was forced to stop when the cancer progressed to his lungs. He managed to run 5,374 kms and raised $1.7-million. Terry Fox died on June 28th, 1981.
His bravery and his commitment to shine awareness on the disease and cancer research inspired millions around the world to lace up shoes and run in his memory and fundraise for cancer research.
Other Information
See Vancouver’s September Calendar for other events happening this same month.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
Note: The first Terry Fox statue in this article is by artist Douglas Coupland and it can be found outside BC Place in downtown Vancouver. The second bronze statue, located at SFU, is by Stephen Harman, Geoff Jones and a team of five other artists.
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