By Mike Anderson
It was an emotional moment when Dana Fox crossed the finish line at Sunday’s 4th annual Georgina Marathon.
Fox, 66, finished the 42.195 km Lake Drive course with a time of 3:56:50, placing tenth in the Male 60 to 69 age group, and 219th over all.
But it was not the result that mattered; it was being able to finish a marathon after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
Fox, a Waterloo resident, was diagnosed last year with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in the body’s bile ducts, which connect the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.
According to medical experts, the prognosis for people with cholangiocarcinoma is usually poor.
The five-year survival rate, if the cancer has not spread outside the bile ducts, ranges from 18 to 23 per cent – approximately one in four cases.
However, Fox, who finished chemotherapy last May, believes he will be one of the few to beat the cancer.
He says finishing the Georgina Marathon with his running club was a crucial physiological boost that will help him on his road to recovery.
“We made it for all those people that have cancer and were told they’re not going to make it; this runs for them. Don’t ever quit,” Fox said.
“They told me in December that you’ll be dead by this October. It doesn’t matter what you do. Even with chemo, you’ll be gone by November. My weight had dropped 26 pounds, and I had to put all that weight back on. I didn’t start running until mid-July. And when I ran my first 5k, I wasn’t sure I could finish. I prepared for this race in just six weeks. Normally, this is a 12 week build. I just did something you are not supposed to do.”
By finishing the race, Fox qualifies for next year’s Boston Marathon in April.
“The hotel’s already booked. I’m in, baby. We’re going. I’m going to live. I’m getting back on the bus. I’m not leaving,” he exclaimed.
“Terry Fox said we do what it takes. And so I did what it took to get the run done. Georgina organized a beautiful event for us. And I’m so grateful for all my friends have done over the last two months to try and help me put this thing together.”
Fox was one of 1,600 runners to participate in this year’s marathon, which is significantly up from the 600 runners who registered for the first race in 2021.
While low temperatures, a stiff north breeze off the lake, and brief periods of rain may have kept some spectators away, most runners took the conditions in stride.
“Although it’s cold for me standing here, it is really good for running,” said Co-race director Cindy Lewis-Caballero.
“Runners don’t want the heat and the warmth. This temperature is great for controlling their body heat and keeping it under control, so they run fast.”
And fast they did run, with many marathoners posting sub-4-hour times, including the winner, Toronto’s Parker Simon, who finished the race in a blistering 2:30:57.
The women’s marathon winner was Philes Ongori, from Niagara Falls, with a time of 2:46:41.
For complete race results, visit www.raceroster.com. (Search Georgina Marathon & Half-Marathon).
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