Running for a Cure: Supporting ALS at the Berlin Marathon

This year, I’m honoured to be running the Berlin Marathon as part of the ALS Association's fundraising team. I'm raising money to fund critical research for a cure and to provide support for those currently battling this disease.

Why ALS? Why This Cause Matters to Me

Choosing to run for the ALS Association was an easy decision. My grandmother, Zita (Memere to us), was diagnosed with ALS in 2007 at the age of 67, and we lost her to the disease in 2010. Memere was a huge part of my childhood—holidays, weekend visits, and a lot of home-cooked meals and baked goods. She was one of the kindest, hardest-working people I’ve ever known.

She never got the chance to meet my wife or my two kids, but her legacy lives on through our daughter, Peyton Zita Connors. If Peyton grows up to be even half the woman Memere was, we’ll have done our jobs as parents.

The ALS Society in New Brunswick was instrumental in helping our family purchase equipment such as a wheel chair to help make Memere more comfortable as the disease progressed. The equipment required to care for someone living with ALS is expensive and without help, can be prohibitive so some families. The money raised in support of ALS is directly helpful to those living with the disease and their families.

ALS took my grandmother from us too soon, and I want to do my part to help ensure more families get more time with their loved ones.

My Running Journey & the Berlin Marathon

I started running in 2021, like many others, just to get outside and stay active during COVID. But somewhere along the way, I went from dreading the run to falling in love with the sport. I’ve shared miles with my son, Theo, and even attempted a few runs with my dog, Loki (who was not a fan).

Since then, I’ve pushed myself to run longer and harder:

Berlin will be my third marathon, but not my last! I’m on a mission to complete all 7 Abbott World Marathon Majors, including Chicago just three weeks after Berlin.

How You Can Help

This isn’t just about running a race—it’s about fighting for a cause that means a lot to me and my family. Every dollar donated goes directly to the ALS Association to help fund research, assist families currently battling ALS, and work toward finding a cure. While the organization is based in the US, funding for a cure is a worldwide effort and funds donated will help bring us closer to more effective treatments here in Canada.

If you’d like to support this cause, please consider donating. No amount is too small—it all makes a difference. We're aiming to raise ~$8k Canadian. The minimum to gain entry to the race is ~$5k but because the cause is so important, I've opted to increase the goal.

I’ll be sharing training updates as I prepare for race day. If you want to follow my journey more closely, you can also find me on Strava!

For more information on the ALS Association and the work they do, please take a look at their website !

Thank you so much for your support, it means the world to me!