Cape Breton man raises $41K for charity with Cabot Trail run

A Cape Breton man completed his goal of running the entire Cabot Trail solo – and for a charitable cause – on Monday.

Veteran marathoner Herbie Sakalauskas of Westmount, N.S., set out on Nov. 7 to run the full 276-kilometre distance of the famed Cape Breton highway as a fundraiser for the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation.

Having lost his father, Simon Sakalauskas, and a close friend to heart-related issues in recent years, the 45-year-old wanted to raise enough money for the Cape Breton Regional Hospital’s emergency room to purchase a LUCAS Device – an automated CPR device designed to provide continuous chest compressions during a cardiac emergency.

Sakalauskas ran the Cabot Trail over four days, which meant covering between 60 and 80 kilometres a day over some of the steepest mountains and most difficult terrain in Eastern Canada.

He ran the same route as the annual Cabot Trail Relay Race, beginning at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s Bay and finishing three days later on Chebucto Street in Baddeck.Not only did Sakalauskas complete his bold running quest, but he also surpassed his fundraising goal.

His initial intention was to raise $30,000, but the final total on his fundraising page comes in at $41,452.

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