(Photo: Healthy Horizons Run Club participants stand with Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman moments before their 10k run)

Thousands of runners from across Manitoba laced up for the 2018 Manitoba Marathon. Among the runners were students from three northern Manitoba First Nations communities, who were participating in the annual Run Club fundraiser event in support of the Healthy Horizons Foundation.

Over the past several months, youth runners from Cross Lake, Poplar River and Split Lake trained for the Manitoba Marathon on June 17th, while raising funds for the Healthy Horizons Foundation.

“It makes me feel awesome,” said Cadence McKay, a student from Cross Lake Manitoba, after crossing the 10K finish line. “It makes me feel like I want to push myself even more towards more goals in life.”

The students enjoyed the benefits of accomplishing their objective. As a reward for all the hard work the students did in fundraising, they were treated to a three day event in Winnipeg which included an educational tour at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a night at the movies and free passes to the Red River Exhibition.

“The kids had a lot of fun,” said Garrison Settee, Vice Principal of Mikisew Middle School in Cross Lake. “I think that this experience is something that will last a lifetime in their memories – it’s something they’ll never forget.”