Halifax man set to finish cross-country run, raises over $182,000 to combat heart disease

Ryan Keeping is seen running through the Canadian Rockies. (Facebook/Ryan Keeping)

A Halifax man is completing his cross-country trip in Victoria, B.C., on Sunday, with thousands of dollars raised for those living with heart disease.

Running 75 kilometres every day, 26-year-old Ryan Keeping of Halifax is reaching the finish line just as he expected, bringing his 99-day journey to a close.

As of 10 a.m. on Sunday, Keeping has raised over $182,000 through GoFundMe – which greatly succeeds his original goal of $100,000.

In a post to Instagram on Sunday, the runner says he has 50 kilometres left of the 7,350 kilometre trip.

According to the GoFundMe, 80 per cent of the funds raised are going to the Heart & Stroke Foundation to be used for improving diagnosis, care, and support for patients with heart disease, while the remaining 20 per cent are used for expenses incurred throughout the coast-to-coast run.

One of the biggest inspirations for the trip was a man Keeping calls the “greatest Canadian of all time,” – Terry Fox.

Just like Fox, Keeping has his own personal reasons for doing the marathon as much of his family has been affected by heart issues, and he hopes the donation will help other families like his.

Keeping began his journey on April 1 in St. John’s, N.L., and has been documenting his coast-to-coast journey through Instagram videos to his audience of over 100,000, inspiring his viewers to “Flip The Switch.”

After only 12 days, Keeping reached the ferry to Cape Breton where he spoke with CTV’s own Ryan MacDonald.

"I'm getting messages from people saying, 'Man, my grandfather died of a stroke or a heart attack. You're inspiring me,’” Keeping told CTV’s Ryan MacDonald on April 12.

“And like, 'He's with you when you're doing this.' It's just really cool to see the community come behind it."

Now 99 days after setting off on his journey from the other side of the country in St. John’s, Keeping is set to finish his journey on Dallas Road in Victoria on Sunday evening.

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