Thousands of people across the country ran to raise money for cancer research on Sunday, in the 27th annual Terry Fox run.

Participants were welcome to run, walk, skate, or bike the 10K marathons that kicked off from different sites across the country, province and the GTA.

Last year, Canada raised almost $13 million for cancer research.

In 1981, the first Terry Fox Run attracted 300,000 participants across Canada and raised $3.5 million. To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name.

Terry Fox, who was born in Winnipeg, Man., and raised in Port Coquitlam, B.C., was only 18-years-old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer. He was forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres above the knee in 1977. 

He was so affected by the suffering of other cancer patients that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

Terry started his run in St. John's, Nfld. on April 12, 1980. He ran 42 kilometres a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario.

He died on June 28, 1981 at age 22.