Running for others’ lives from coast to coast in oppressive heat, smoke-filled air

Some 4,976 kilometres down, 2,524 to go.

James Newman, a 22-year-old from Oakville, Ont., is attempting to complete a 7,500-kilometre run across Canada in fewer than 100 days.

Now on day 73 of his run from St. John’s, N.L., to Victoria, B.C., Newman’s journey will take him through Winnipeg this week.

Since leaving Newfoundland on May 18, Newman has burned thousands of calories, managed injuries and poor air quality and gone through countless pairs of running shoes while trying to stay on pace for a crossing that only three people have completed before the 100-day mark.

If he reaches the finish line on schedule, Newman would become the youngest person to complete the journey in that time.

The record, however, isn’t the reason he started.

Newman is raising money for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s Post-Secondary Education Program, with a goal of collecting $250,000 for scholarships that help young people who experienced displacement during childhood pursue studies after high school.

The cause is personal for Newman; he lost both of his parents at the age of seven and was supported by members of his community who stepped in to help him through that period of his life.

“I feel like university is one of those times where you get to meet a lot of cool people, make new friends, learn about yourself, become more independent,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine what my life could have been like without it, especially given the bad start. So I wanted to pay it forward and help kids who also had bad starts.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, he has raised more than $144,000.

“I’m just super grateful,” he said. “Anything, honestly, means so much to me.”

By the time Newman reaches Victoria, he will have covered the equivalent of nearly 170 marathons — about 10 million steps, more than many people take over seven to 10 years.

“There are some days where I’m like, ‘I don’t even know what I’m doing out here,’” he said, talking to the Free Press during a break about 20 kilometres east of Winnipeg, where the temperature had climbed to 35 C under a heat warning.

“It’s just running, running every day. We’re taking it one day at a time, and we’ll get there soon.”

To keep up with the physical demands of averaging about 60 kilometres a day, Newman consumes something in the neighbourhood of 10,000 calories daily.

Wednesday’s heat forced him to cut his run short at about 42 kilometres.

He said Manitoba’s flat terrain has been a welcome change from Ontario’s hills, but the heat has created its own challenges.

“I love the culture and the people,” Newman said. “It’s just the weather seems like some of the most extreme in Canada.

“We’re running into a problem where the hotter it is, the more blood your body sends to your skin to cool it down in the rest of your body, and so your blood basically leaves your organs and your stomach, and so (I’m) having a hard time eating. If you can’t eat, obviously it’s a pretty downhill from there.”

The Manitoba heat is just the latest challenge he has faced along the way.

He has dealt with severe blisters, an injury that left him struggling to lift his foot, internal bleeding caused by anti-inflammatory medication he was taking and poor air quality from wildfire smoke in Ontario.

“It’s the cause,” Newman said, explaining his motivation. “I don’t think I would still be here if it weren’t for the cause. I want to make the most of it, and I really want to give back through this charity, so whenever times get tough, I think about that.”

He is documenting the run through a daily blog, where he shares the distance he completed, how the day went and his “song of the day.” He is also accompanied by family and friends travelling in a trailer, helping with food, supplies and pit stops along the way.

“I would say it’s mostly listening to music or podcasts,” he said, referring to what he does while running. “It kind of depends on the day. The harder it is, the more I listen to music, and if I’m able to focus, I listen to podcasts or audiobooks.”

Thursday’s forecast calls for slightly cooler temperatures, with Newman planning another early start as he continues west toward Winnipeg and beyond.

His journey can be followed, and donations can be made, at jamesrunscanada.ca.

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca