By the time he arrives in Port Hawkesbury, 25-year-old Skylar Roth-MacDonald will have run over 6000 kilometres — over the course of 122 days.
Roth-MacDonald is from Red Deer, Alta. He set out from Victoria, BC in June with a goal in mind: to raise awareness about mental health.
“Especially the last year and a half, with everything going on, I think anyone can relate to mental health in one way or another,” he said.
He’s trying to raise $50,000 dollars along the way for the Canadian Mental Health Association. So far, he’s raised just over $22,000.
Roth-MacDonald plans to end his run in Saint John’s, Nfld. When it’s all over, he’ll have run 7295 kilometres, from coast to coast.
The run hasn’t always been easy, he said.
“Right now obviously my body is wearing down, it’s not as fresh as it was at the beginning.”
Roth-MacDonald typically runs between 50-65 kilometres a day — oftentimes in extreme heat over 30 degrees or more.
While it hasn’t all been easy, Roth-MacDonald says he’s had great support along the way, with many people stepping in to drive the RV while he runs.
“Some people have put in 70 days of driving, some people have put in a week. So, there’s been a lot of people helping piece this together. Now we’re down to just over the last 1000 kilometres.”
Roth-MacDonald will be passing through Antigonish today, and plans to stop in Port Hawkesbury on Thursday.
He has family from West Bay Road, so Roth-MacDonald said he’s excited to get to town and see his relatives.
If you’re interested in donating, you can find more information on Roth-MacDonald’s website.
