The number 42 is significant in this year's Terry Fox Run.

It's one, too, that some cyclists have taken to heart in paying tribute to the Canadian hero.

On Sept. 17, a group of cyclists spearheaded by Brandon Cruze and with the support of Cochrane's Filipino community will be making a 42-km round trip from Cochrane to Calgary, starting from the parking lot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gleneagles at 8:30 a.m.

Cruze says the door is wide open for others to join in the ride to pay tribute to Terry Fox. He anticipates it will be about an hour and a half ride along Hwy. 1A.

He's also involved in the local Terry Fox Run committee and welcomes people to reach out for more information by emailing cochranetfr@gmail.com.

Edwin Aguanta, vice-president of the Filipino Canadian Association of Cochrane Alberta, says they were eager to join Cruze in the bike ride.

"We're glad to be part of this and thank Brandon for facilitating and spearheading this to pay tribute to Terry Fox," says Aguanta. 

It was 42 years ago that the first Terry Fox Run was held to commemorate Terry Fox's courageous Marathon of Hope to raise funds for cancer research.

Paul Cox, one of the local organizers of Cochrane's Terry Fox Run, praises Cruze for the initial, one of three to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the run.

He explains that 42 was also the average number of kilometres Terry Fox ran for 143 consecutive days during his Marathon of Hope.

He says that has inspired many people to join Club 42 to walk, run and wheel a total 42 km at their own pace.

Cox started his accumulation of 42k on Mar. 20 and completed it on Apr. 3.

"The one thing that struck me was even in those 14 days, there were days where I was lazy and I didn't want to go. But I thought, but how many lazy days and days of exhaustion did Terry Fox have, yet he still went out and did his run every day? That motivated me to get off the sofa and get out and do my measly two or three ks for the day."

He says about 15 are involved so far and more are welcome to participate and share their stories by emailing cochranetfr@gmail.com.

The community Terry Fox Run is on Sept. 18 and starts at Mitford Park. Registration opens at 9 a.m. and will remain open until 1 p.m. 

Before his death on June 28, 1981, Terry had achieved his once unimaginable goal of $1 from every Canadian. More importantly, he had set in motion the framework for an event, The Terry Fox Run, that would ignite cancer research in Canada, raising more than $850 million since 1980, and bringing hope and health to millions of Canadians.