The iconic 1980 Ford Econoline van that Terry Fox used in his 1980 Marathon of Hope is now on display at the Teaching and Learning Building at UNBC.

The van is on display as part of the Running to the Heart of Canada exhibit that UNBC is co-hosting with The Exploration Place until mid-January.

The exhibit has been developed by the Canadian Museum of History in partnership with Terry Fox's family.

Terry Fox used the van on his epic 143-day, 5,373 km journey from St. John's, Nfld. to Thunder Bay, Ont. The display includes archival material from that time. It is open to the public and available to view 24/7.

The Marathon of Hope began with little fanfare on April 12, 1980 when Terry dipped his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean at St. John’s and began his grueling marathon-a-day cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. His determination, courage and integrity soon drew the attention — and won the hearts — of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. His journey ended near Thunder Bay when the cancer that had claimed his leg returned, forcing Terry to abandon the project.

He died a national hero in June 1981, aged 22, having collected some $24 million — achieving his goal of raising $1 from every Canadian. To date, more than $700 million has been raised in his name for cancer research.