THOUSANDS of Cubans walked, jogged or ran in the 15th Terry Fox Run on Saturday, March 30, with events in every municipality, as well as in rural and mountainous areas.

Established as a prize for effort in the battle against cancer, participants recalled the extraordinary accomplishment of Canadian Terry Fox, a symbol of the international battle against cancer, according to the sports magazine, Jit.

Fox, who lost his right leg to cancer aged 18, began his run on April 12, 1980 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with the goal of raising funds to support cancer research.

The young Canadian covered around 5,373 kilometers over a period of 143 days, battling with his own illness, which eventually prevented him from fulfilling his intention of running across northern Canada.

Sadly, he was forced to abandon his plan on September 1, at Thunder Bay, Ontario, where he was hospitalized, as the cancer had spread to his lungs.

Also called the Marathon of Hope, the Terry Fox run has taken place in Cuba since 1998, as a popular event and a symbol of friendship and between the peoples of Cuba and Canada.

The event also serves as a fund-raising occasion which has facilitated research on the part of the Cuban Oncology and Radiobiology Institute into a cytohistological classification of the ior-HPV 1 monoclonal antibody and a study into family history of breast cancer patients, among other issues.