Ont. man completes goal of running marathons in every province with N.L. race

A man from Burlington, Ont. made it his mission to run a marathon in each province — and on Sunday, he completed his goal, with the Huffin' Puffin marathon in St. John's.

"I left St. John's, Newfoundland as my last marathon, so this is marathon number 10, and I will complete my goal of running across Canada," said Mike Wallace.

Close to 1,000 runners braved the crisp St. John's air early Sunday morning to take part in the 65th running of the annual race.

It's billed as the oldest marathon in the country, and runners say it's a tough one as it winds through the scenic heart of St. John's.

Wallace said he trained all summer in Ontario, where the weather was in stark contrast to Sunday's conditions.

"We had a very hot, humid summer. And so, this is a complete change from what I'm used to it," he said.

"It's actually good for running when it's nice and cool. It looks like it's not going to rain, it's not too much wind — so it's actually perfect conditions for a long run."

For health and the love of travel

Wallace said he decided to take on this marathon challenge for a few reasons.

"Doing it was a personal goal in terms of keeping healthy," he said.

"It [also] got me an opportunity to see every part of Canada. Not every Canadian takes advantage of that, and it forced me to make sure I was in every province in the country."