During his two Box Runs for charity in 2012 and 2014, Mike Strange frequently topped 50 kilometres a day as he ran across Canada raising money for cancer research.
But few days left him as exhausted as he felt Saturday making his way across Niagara to raise money for another charity. On a muggy, humid day, he wondered if he’d be able to finish long before he hit the 50-kilometre mark.
“Probably the last 15 kilometres, both legs were cramping,” he said, shortly after hitting the finish line at James Morden School in Niagara Falls. “I kind of fought through it.”
At least he wasn’t alone. Victor Pietrangelo, a friend and fellow Niagara Falls councillor, joined Strange for what they dubbed the 100 Challenge – a combined 100-kilometre run through the region to raise money for Community Crew, a regional charity which provides lunches for more than 900 students in 14 schools.
Strange and Pietrangelo ran 50 kilometres each, starting Saturday morning at Edith Cavell School in St. Catharines at 8:30 a.m. They made their way through Thorold and Welland before wrapping up at James Morden just before 5 p.m.
The 100 kilometres was symbolic of the 100th day of the COVID-19 lockdown.
A drained Pietrangelo said he has never run 50 kilometres in one day before.
“It’s very humid today,” he said. “You can’t predict Mother Nature and that made it all the more difficult. Fluids were just pouring out of us.
“It’s elation right now just to be done. There were parts that were really tough. When we started to leave Welland, everyone started to get cramps.”
A handful of runners joined Strange and Pietrangelo along the way. A welcoming party at James Morden included Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati and Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates, both wearing protective masks.
Community Crew director Sarah Pritula said the run raised about $2,500, which will be used for lunches this week and to start the new school year in September. The program has delivered lunches door-to-door since COVID-19 shuttered schools in March.
“For us it’s really important to stay in the public eye and just raise awareness,” she said. “We want to make sure our program is sustainable and be able to continue the program once the schools are back in.”
Community Crew started at Edith Cavell school in 2013 and now feeds students in Welland, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
The money raised Saturday will provide about 1,250 lunches.
Strange, who turns 50 in August, isn’t sure how many more marathons he has in him.
“Originally, we were talking about doing 100 kilometres (each),” he said. “Thank God Vic talked me out of that.”
