Foreigners walk in a charity fun run for cancer research at Shanghai's Daning Lingshi Park yesterday. About 10,000 people took part in the Terry Fox Run, which is held every year in dozens of cities across the world in memory of a Canadian cancer victim.

More than 10,000 people braved Sunday's rain in Shanghai to take part in a charity fun run for cancer research.

The Terry Fox Run, which is held every year in dozens of cities across the world in memory of a Canadian cancer victim, took runners around Shanghai Daning Lingshi Park on an eight-kilometer or 4.8-kilometer course.

"I will keep going, even with my legs dragging," said Qiao Yang, an eight-year-old Shanghai boy who was among the runners.

Qiao's mother, who identified herself with the surname Xue, said her son heard about the event through a friend in Canada.

"He was asking me what cancer was yesterday," said Xue. "He knows that he's doing something good."

Jin Zhaomin, deputy secretary-general of Shanghai Charity Foundation, one of the organizers, said the run had grown in popularity since it was first held in the city.

"We only had 600 participators at the first Terry Fox Run nine years ago," he said. "Now, many students and faculties from the 27 universities in the city have joined us this year."

Hundreds of expatriates also joined in, including 300 who signed up on the day of the race.

"This is my first time doing the run," said Helen Parkin from Britain. The teacher from the Shanghai Rego International School said she was taking part in the event alongside nine other teachers from the school.

In 1978, Terry Fox, whose right leg had been amputated because of cancer, attempted to run across Canada to raise money for research into the disease. His cancer subsequently spread and he died in June 1981, mid-way through the run.

Last year in Shanghai, about 10,000 runners raised 500,000 yuan (US$62,500) in the run.

(Shanghai Daily November 20, 2006)