700-km relay run from Port Severn to Ottawa raising awareness and funds for mental health

Peterborough runner Joel Kimmett was at the Peterborough Lift Lock Tuesday morning (August 23) to embark on a 20-kilometre run on the fourth day of the annual Canal Pursuit for Mental Health, a 700-kilmetre relay run to raise awareness and end the stigma around mental health issues.

Now in its eighth year, the relay run roughly follows the Trent Severn Canal from Port Severn to Trenton, and then the Rideau Canal from Kingston to Ottawa. The run began in Port Severn last Saturday and will finish on Parliament Hill on Ottawa this Saturday.

The Canal Pursuit for Mental Health is the brainchild of Clay Williams, who is also one of the co-founders and race director of the Monarch Ultra Relay Run to raise awareness about the plight of the threatened monarch butterfly. The Elmira resident organized the Canal Pursuit for Mental Health in honour of his wife, his daughter, and his sister — who all suffer from mood disorders — and in memory of his two older brothers who took their own lives.

For the first two years, he ran the entire route himself — an average of 90 kilometres per day — and now leads the team of relay runners, while continuing to run segments. Since 2015, the run has raised almost $100,000 for the Belleville-based not-for-profit organization Mood Disorders Society of Canada.

“The conversation that we want to promote with this project is two-fold,” Williams says in a media release. “First, if you’re struggling with a mood disorder, talk to someone you trust. The second part of the message is that physical activity can help make many symptoms of mood disorders more manageable, fitting in with the national Defeat Depression campaign.”

Defeat Depression is a national mental health fundraising and awareness campaign. Volunteers and organizations across Canada organize walks, runs, and other physical or social activities to support awareness of mental health, reduce stigma, and encourage people to come forward for the help they need. For more information, visit www.defeatdepression.ca.

“We all have an important role to play in removing the stigma around mental illness, so that people can feel comfortable reaching out to seek treatment,” Williams says.

For more information about the Canal Pursuit for Mental Health Relay Run and to make a donation, visit CanalPursuit.DefeatDepression.ca.

VIDEO: Interview with Clay Wiliams