30-hour run raises over $8,000
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Mike Mathews was taken aback by the support he received running for 30 straight hours at the Norfolk County Fairgrounds for Make-A-Wish Southwestern Ontario.
“It was perfect, pretty well flawless,” said Mathews, a Port Dover native who ran the horse track for over a day beginning at 7 a.m. Friday morning. “In terms of my portion, the running aspect, I was kind of on top of my food and hydration and when it comes to the event portion my mom (Carol Snow) handled everything like an absolute champion.”
Residents of all ages came by to donate and wish Mathews luck, some even ran a few laps to help him keep his pace.
“The turnout was incredible,” he added. “The entire 30 hours, I don't think there wasn't anybody there aside from a portion in the night – maybe an hour or so ... it was pretty awesome.”
Not only did Mathews achieve his goal of completing the 30-hour run but also made a wish come true. As of Monday, the $8,200 that had poured in would be enough for young Anthony – a 12-year-old Norfolk boy battling cystic fibrosis – to take his family on a trip to the Bahamas and go scuba diving.
“Anthony showed up with his family - super cool kid,” said Mathews. “He was pretty shy but there was a lot of people around.”
Mathews had a difficult time describing the efforts of those that rallied around him and the cause.
“It's incredible, it's a little bit overwhelming,” he said. “It's hard to put words to it, but to see the people there and to have friends and family there, overwhelming is a good way to put it.”
Having run four marathons in four days to honour Terry Fox in 2016, and with his most recent goal met, Mathews – a fitness major at Humber College in Toronto - can now plan for his next major journey.
“It will be a couple years before I go for anything long again,” Mathews said. “For the next couple years it's just going to be competing in some shorter races, but the Bruce Trail is my next long target.”
jrobinson@postmedia.com