Est. 1983

Finishing is winning!

The Jozef Frank Merciless Marathon is named in honour of Fort McMurray runner Jozef Frank, killed tragically in a car accident involving a drunk driver on July 28th, 2000.

Born in Czechoslovakia July 21, 1948, Jozef emigrated to Timmons, Ontario, in October of 1968, where he met his wife, Lois. In 1978 the couple relocated to Fort McMurray, Alberta, where Jozef began a new career at Syncrude. He started running in the late 1970s in support of his children’s athletic endeavors.

Jozef’s love of running progressed and he set his sights on completing his first marathon in Victoria, British Columbia, in October, 1989. He had discovered his passion for running marathons, which eventually took him around the  world. Completing 50 marathons before he turned 50 years of age quickly became his running ambition, and he achieved this lofty goal shortly after his 49th birthday, completing the Oil Sands Marathon in Fort McMurray.

His goal setting continued, this time looking higher and longer, to ultra marathons. He completed two 80km events and two 100km events, including the World Championship in France in 1999.

Jozef’s frequent visits to the SPCA led him to meet his new running partner, Sheba. It took a partner with four legs to stay with him and actually enjoy those long runs down Tower Road.

Jozef was a real humanitarian. He donated his blood to the Canadian Red Cross at every opportunity, had a deep love of pets and enjoyed gardening. He was very supportive of fellow runners and shared his expertise freely with them.

                                                                       - Adrian Larkin

Jozef Frank

1948 - 2000