Former Sun Run poster girl Danielle Buchanan is back with a whole new project after her 11th race Sunday. She’s encouraging smokers to join Run to Quit, a partnership between the Canadian Cancer Society and the Running Room.
The Vancouver Sun told Buchanan’s story two years ago when she took part in her 10th run after a near fatal jet ski accident in Mexico in 2004. She was a 19-year-old smoker then and quit while recovering from a broken pelvis and hip, only to inch back to a pack a day by 2013.
“We know it’s not good for us, but we still do it,” says Buchanan, now 31. “I’m only human, but the more I start to identify myself as a runner, the more the commitment is to myself.”
She’s also training for the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 1.
“Now I’m not a smoker, I’m an ex-smoker who runs.”
Led by coaches who all used to light up, Run to Quit is open to all fitness levels. Participants who complete a five-km fun run or walk by July 31 and have been smoke free since June 12 will be entered in a draw to win a car or cash prizes.
It’s the first time Run to Quit has been offered in B.C. after a pilot program in Ontario. The registration deadline is April 23 and participants can join for free or take part in 10-week running clinics that cost $70.
For details go to http://www.runtoquit.com
