Caydin Cleland was thinking of his family before he crossed the finish line at the Manitoba Marathon on Sunday — the second of two goals he achieved in the event.Caydin Cleland, 24, ran on Sunday in honour of his dad and uncle, who both died from drug overdoses. Cleland also raised just over $6,000 for the Sunshine House's mobile overdose prevention site in Winnipeg.
"Every moment of today is going to be exciting for them, you know, we work all year for one day and this is it," she told CBC. The race also served as the Canadian championship. Natasha Wodak, who has competed at two Olympics with Team Canada, won the women's half-marathon. Manitoba Marathon returns with revised communication plan after last year's race called off due to heat"We're moving out of province in the next two weeks, so this could be my last Manitoba Marathon, and I'm just so grateful."While he didn't win the marathon, Cleland said he finished faster than expected and he couldn't have asked for a better day to run, following an emotionally charged week.
The marathon was a way to make meaning of his dad's death, but he said physical activity has also been a helpful tool to process his grief.