Edmonton man laces up for 2 marathons Sunday in support of mental health

An Edmonton man spent his birthday Sunday pushing himself to the limit to try and help others.

Tyler Cantos will run the length of two marathons over the day to raise money and awareness for men's mental health.

"It's something that with men, we tend to try to mask and not share with others. And that's my goal here, is to help men realize that it's OK to talk about it," Cantos said.

The newly 29-year-old will run, jog and walk more than 84 kilometres. That's around seven kilometres more than the length of Anthony Henday Drive.

Cantos isn't a runner, but he enjoys pushing himself.

"I know that I've done challenges in the past where I've pushed myself through, so I just take that on into my mindset," he said. "I know I can do it, it will just take time."

The furthest Cantos had run before Sunday was 15 miles (24 kilometres). He tried to take on a 42 kilometre marathon run last weekend, but had to walk the last 25.

But Cantos said he's determined to push through – not set records.

"If it takes me 18 hours to do it, it takes me 18 hours," he added.

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Jackie Vizza was one of several well-wishers who stopped by to cheer Cantos on. She said she wasn't surprised by his choice of challenge.

"He always just goes for it, dreams big," Vizza said. "Once he said he was doing it, I was like, 'Yup, this is just another day in the life."

Cantos is hoping to raise $40,000, which would help 100 men access therapy for a month with a BetterHelp subscription.

Sunday his GoFundMe had raised just $376, but he wasn't deterred. 

He is extending his fundraising over the next year, with challenges every few months leading up to an even more ambitious fundraiser for his thirtieth birthday.

"I'm thinking of doubling it next year, doing 100 miles," Cantos said.

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"I have no doubts that if he wants to do it, he'll do it," Vizza said. "It's going to be a lot of work … It'll be interesting to see how that goes over the next year."

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti