VANCOUVER -- CFAX 1070's Al Ferraby completed his annual charity half marathon Sunday morning with a little less company than usual.
The event the morning show host was planning on running in was cancelled, but he announced earlier this month that he intended to do a solo half marathon anyway, to raise money for CFAX Santas Anonymous.
"We just thought, you know, even though there isn't an official race, there's still a means of raising that money, as long as I was able to get out and run," Ferraby said after completing his 21-kilometre run Sunday.
"I wasn't that fast, but I did it," he said.
He started his run in Windsor Park in Oak Bay at 7:30 a.m. and finished just before 10:30 a.m. The route was kept secret beforehand, so that people would maintain appropriate physical distance and not come out to cheer for him during the pandemic.
Ferraby asked listeners to donate $21, one for each of the kilometres he would be running. As of Sunday, his online fundraising page showed more than $17,000 raised for the cause, which helps children and families in crisis in Greater Victoria year-round, despite its Christmas-themed name.
"These are families that are our neighbours," Ferraby said. "These are people that you see every day that may not tell you how much they're struggling."
While the run is now complete, the fundraising page will be live until the end of June for those who wish to donate.
