Friends Grace Lore and Lise Berube have finished their own marathon together for a third time.
Their Saturday run around Elk and Beaver lakes was part of a fundraising campaign called Move Because You Can to support the Callanish Society of Vancouver, which helps people with cancer.
Backed by about 300 runners and cyclists from the capital region and elsewhere just over $238,000 had been raised by early evening on Saturday and money was continuing to come in. Others were taking part in places such as Edmonton, Calgary, the Yukon and the U.K.
Berube has stage four cancer and Victoria Beacon Hill MLA Lore’s son Asher, aged four, has a brain tumour.
Berube and Lore are elated by others who took part in the campaign.
On Saturday morning the pair started with a two-kilometre run and then covered four laps on the lake trail for a total of 42.2 kilometres.
Lore said, “It is such a gift to to have four and a bunch of hours to run with Lise.”
Whenever one finds themselves flagging during a long run, the other helps cheer them on.
This time, “I felt pretty good towards the end,” Lore said. But Berube found it tougher, saying, “It was very difficult. It was quite a push. … That last lap was the toughest.”
Three weeks ago, the two ran a 36-kilometre training run and Lore said, “I had a really hard time.” That time, it was Berube who encouraged Lore.
Despite the challenge, “it was just amazing … it was a great day,” Berube said.
The two ran a marathon in May of last year and another on Christmas Day.
What’s next? Running of course.
“I think we will go back to running 20 kilometres max at a time,” said Lore. “We’ll keep running there’s no question. … It keeps us well in all kinds of ways.”
> Online: callanish.org