The Ballad Of Terry Fox by Bryan Adams & Documentary Film "Run Terry Run"

The Ballad Of Terry Fox

Bryan Adams has released ‘The Ballad of Terry Fox’, a powerful musical tribute to a Canadian icon Terry Fox featured in the Documentary Run Terry Run Premiering at Toronto International Film Festival .

LYRIC:

The wind was cold and thin - out on the highway’s edge
A solitary figure with a solemn pledge
One leg of bone - one leg of steel - a skip and a heavy heel
Brought up in BC and Manitoba - he didn’t fail to make us feel

Yeah the road was long where he once ran
He did the best any human can
Get across the country - that’s the plan
That’s the spirit of our man

He didn't run for medals - he didn’t run for gold
But for the people and their stories - that never will be told
Across the asphalt and the gravel - through the heat and the rain 
he carried the nations weight for 26 miles, then he’d go again

Yeah the road was long where he once ran
He did the best any human can
Get across the country - that’s the plan
That’s the spirit of our man

The road was lined with people - who came out to see him run
But the lungs grew tired and he got weary - before he was done
On a lonely stretch near Thunder Bay
His stride was halted - the body gave way

Yeah the road was long where he once ran
He did the best any human can
Get across the country - that’s the plan
That’s the spirit of our man

The finish line was in his mind - not a city on a map
There was no closing ceremony - just a roadside clap
He might have had to stop the run - but the fight still carries on
For every heart that followed him - the race was bravely won

Yeah the road was long where he once ran
He did the best any human can
Get across the country - that’s the plan
That’s the spirit of our man

If there ever was a hero - if there ever was a saint
He ran through fire and through pain - any lesser soul would faint
He said “its a mission greater than himself” - and his words are still ringing true
He ran for everybody - he ran for me and you
 

About film Run Terry Run

Run Terry Run is a 2025 Canadian documentary film, directed by Sean Menard. The film is a behind-the-scenes depiction of Terry Fox's 1980 Marathon of Hope, through previously unseen footage taken in 1980 by filmmaker John Simpson, which passed into the possession of the Terry Fox Foundation but had languished in storage, and was long been believed to be lost entirely, until it was located again in the 2020s .

The Story Of Terry Fox

When Terry Fox was 18 years old, he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and had his right leg amputated. 

Diagnosis and Surgery
In 1977, while attending Simon Fraser University as a kinesiology student and playing basketball, Terry felt pain in his right knee. Doctors found a malignant tumor. 

Amputation
Surgeons amputated his right leg six inches above the knee in March 1977, just three days after his diagnosis. 

Inspiration
 While undergoing chemotherapy in the hospital, he witnessed the intense suffering of young children fighting cancer. This experience inspired him to make a difference and eventually led to his cross-country Marathon of Hope

Terry Fox ran across Canada for 143 days in 1980 on an artificial leg to raise money and awareness for cancer research. 

The Journey
The Start: On April 12, 1980, Terry dipped his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's, Newfoundland, starting his Marathon of Hope. 

The Routine
He ran an average of 26 miles (42 kilometers) every single day. 

Growing Support
The run started with little attention, but crowds and donations grew massively as he made his way through Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and into Ontario. He aimed to raise $1 for every Canadian. 

The End of the Run
On September 1, 1980, after running 5,373 kilometers (3,339 miles), Terry had to stop outside Thunder Bay, Ontario. 

The Diagnosis
He felt severe chest pain and shortness of breath; doctors discovered his osteogenic sarcoma cancer had returned and spread to his lungs. 

He had raised over $24 million by the time he stopped. He passed away on June 28, 1981, at the age of 22, 
but inspired the annual Terry Fox Foundation run which continues globally today. 
 

What were Terry Fox's last words?

Terry Fox's widely remembered and cited final words are, "If I don't make it, the Marathon of Hope must continue."

Did anyone finish Terry Fox's run?

Steve Fonyo completed a cross-Canada run after Terry Fox. 

Fonyo, who was also an amputee, started his "Journey for Lives" run in March 1984. He finished the 7,924-kilometer trek in May 1985 by dipping his artificial leg into the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, British Columbia.

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