Local high school student running 100k marathon to raise money for Royal Canadian Legion

A local high school student from St. Thomas of Villanova High School in LaSalle is set to run a 100k ultra-marathon race this Remembrance Day to raise money for the Royal Canadian Legion.

The race is happening Saturday in Ohio called the Whispering Grace 100.

Speaking on AM800's The Morning Drive, Gavin Pratt says he hasn't always been a runner.

"I started running last year and the longest I'd ever run was a mile. I was training for the Canada Day 5k race and I just built from there."

He says he's running the marathon to raise money for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 in Windsor.

"They're Canada's largest veteran support organization and military service has always been something that's really resonated with me. I think it's the commitment to something greater and this race that I'm doing falls on Remembrance Day so it seemed like a natural fit to raise money for them."

He says he's hoping to finish the 100k marathon in under 17 hours.

"The really fast people can do them in a under ten hours but I'm hoping somewhere between 15 and 17. It's starts at 7:30 a.m., so I'm hoping to finish before it becomes Sunday."

Pratt's goal is to raise $5,000. 

He has set up a GoFundMe which has raised over $3,300.