A press conference held on Wednesday revealed that the ninth Beijing Terry Fox Run will take place in Chaoyang Park on Saturday, October 13, 2007.

This year's run will start at 9 am on the west side of Lihua Square and end on its east side, a distance of approximately 8 km. The Chinese Cancer Institute and Hospital (CIH) and the Canadian Embassy of Beijing are the principal co-organizers of the run. The China Cancer Foundation, International Red Cross (Beijing Branch), Chaoyang District Health Bureau and Chaoyang Park are the main coordinators. Miss Guan Ling, who at the age of 12 starred in the first Chinese sitcom I Love My Family, is the ambassador of this year's run.

As the largest single-day cancer fundraiser in the world, the Terry Fox Run, also known as the Marathon of Hope, is an annual non-competitive charity event held in across the world in commemoration of Terry Fox, a Canadian bone cancer patient who ran 5,373 km across Canada in 143 days in 1980, to raise money for cancer research.

Since its inception in 1981, the Run has raised over CA$340 million. It is held in 52 countries and over 4,133 communities, and over 2.5 million people worldwide are estimated to have participated so far.

The first Beijing Terry Fox Run was held in September 1999. Thereafter, the CIH, which also incorporates the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), became the initiator and consistent organizer of the Run in cooperation with the Canadian Embassy of Beijing.

Built in 1958, the CIH is a national center for advanced cancer research and treatment, and one of the collaborative centers (with the World Health Organization) for cancer research in China. It is considered one of the top such centers in Asia in terms of scale.

"The concept of 'caring for our health and treasuring our lives' has been widely adopted by the public here in Beijing, as the Run continues," said Mr. Zhao Ping, President of CIH, at the press conference.

"So far more than 200,000 people have taken part in this event," he said, "and more than 4.7 million yuan (approximately $618,000) has been used for ongoing cancer research in China. For instance, cervical cancer research in the poor and remote areas of Shanxi Province, the Taihang Anti-cancer Project which covers a population of over 600,000, epidemiologic research on malignant tumors in the Tibet Autonomous Region, etc. This serious endeavor will continue as best as we can."

The Terry Fox Run, unlike other major fund raising events, has no corporate sponsorship. This is in accordance with Terry Fox's original wishes of not seeking fame or fortune from his endeavor.

"The Terry Fox Run is no longer just a Canadian event," said Phil Calvert, the Chargé of Canada to China. "It is a day for people from all over the world to gather and raise funds that are urgently needed to find a cure for cancer. Terry Fox has become a symbol for us of courage, perseverance, energy, and dedication in the fight against cancer."

The event is open to everyone, since participation is considered more important than completing the set distance. Participants can run or walk.

For further information, please contact CIH:

010-8778 8888, 010-6770 4397

Profile of Terry Fox

Born in 1958 in Manitoba, Canada. In 1977, 18-year-old Terry was diagnosed with bone cancer and forced to have his right leg amputated. In 1980, Terry started his Marathon of Hope across Canada on an artificial leg to raise awareness and money for cancer research. Unfortunately the cancer brought his running to a halt, and he passed away at the age of 22. But his spirit is still alive and his remarkable legacy continues -- the worldwide Terry Fox Run, commemorating his life every year in a special way.