It was an emotional day Sunday as Altona's Mark Wiebe pushed his body and mind to the edge - all in support of men's health and cancer research.
In his own spin on the annual Movember fund raiser, Wiebe ran 100 kilometres on Sunday.
He only started running about four months ago and, instead of doing it just for himself, decided to turn it into something good for others.
"No matter where you look, you're going to have people in your life who are dealing with health issues or cancer or whatever it is," said Wiebe.
The strategy on Sunday was to complete 20 km laps around town, at about two hours each.
Candace Derksen caught up with him around 2 p.m. after he just finished his 60th kilometre. He started his day a 6:30 a.m.
"The first 20 (kms) was easy and it just gets harder as you go," said Wiebe. "Now, I'm 60-k in and I'm feeling tired. Feet are sore. Knees are sore. That's okay. It's nothing we can't run through."
As of interview time, Wiebe has raised $4,000 of his $5,000 goal.
"It means a lot," he said when asked how it felt to be so supported. "I don't want to get emotional now [...] I've got to go run yet."
Throughout the day, friends and family joined Wiebe on one of those 20 km laps as he worked his way up to that 100 km benchmark.
"It's been a huge help. It's amazing how much that helps," he said.
While Sunday has come and gone, there is still time add your support. Wiebe has kept his online donation page active, offering us a chance to help him hit $5,000. Click here to add your contribution.
In the end, Wiebe made good on his 100 km commitment, finishing at 9:30 p.m. in the pouring rain.
