Vancouver teacher protests bill by running marathons

A teacher in North Vancouver is protesting the B.C. government’s new education bill by running 22 marathons in 22 days.

Ian Cunliffe is planning the runs, which will take him 1,000K across B.C., because he says the government’s Education Improvement Act “slashes funding to the bone,” according to the North Shore Outlook.

Running a spate of marathons is becoming fairly common these days, with a number of recent instances of people running across Canada, the U.S., North America or even the world to raise funds and awareness for different causes. But Cunliffe isn’t raising funds – he’s running the 22 marathons in protest.

“I feel it’s my professional responsibility to tell people the devastating effects Bill 22 will have on our education system,” Cunliffe told the Outlook. “Private schools have record numbers on their wait lists, and there’s a reason for this. We have a great public system; what we don’t have is funding. I hope people will realize the public education system needs more.”

His plan is to run six hours each day over some of B.C.’s roughest terrain to protest the bill.