Winnipeg runner to do 20 marathons in 15 months for charity

Winnipeg marathon runner Ed Toews is attempting to run 20 marathons in 15 months while raising money and awareness for Siloam Mission.

Toews, 57, started running only six years ago and began his 15-month campaign at the Bratislava Marathon in Slovakia at the end of March, and then headed over to the Vienna City Marathon.

After a few weeks of much needed recuperation at home, Toews will be continuing his 844-kilometre journey when he hits the streets of Fargo, N.D. on Saturday, May 9.

"Overall, the marathon is very grueling. By the time you reach -- they call it the wall, which you reach at about 18-20 miles -- when you reach that you've just got nothing left," said Toews, who after getting hit by a car at the age of 14, required multiple surgeries and now has to run with one leg that is slightly shorter than the other.

The resulting injury left him with a slipped disk and curvature of his spine, and Toews now needs to spend 30 minutes every day stretching just so he can function without pain or cramping.

Full post-race recovery for Toews can take a few weeks to a month, but he's hoping that improves throughout the year as he won't have that much time between every race.

The rest of his races will take him all across North America, including a race in Jackson, Miss. on Jan. 9 followed the very next day with a race in Mobile, Ala.

Toews attempted the inaugural Manitoba Marathon in 1979, but due to not properly training, he pulled out of that race at the 14-mile mark.

This time, Toews plans to finish his tour at the Manitoba Marathon in June 2016.

"Some people say, 'I'm never going to do this again,' but other people, when they have those feelings and they enjoy putting all that effort out and finishing a marathon -- you feel really really good, not physically, but you feel really good doing it," Said Toews.

Toews is using up all of his vacation for running and has partnered with Siloam Mission.

"They're a great local organization, and I wanted to do something within the community," said Toews.