Postponed to 2027

158
Kilo­metres.
158
Names.

One infantryman. One continuous march. One kilometre for each Canadian who gave everything in Afghanistan.

New date to be confirmed · Spring / Summer 2027

Donate Now Follow the March
The Mission

A march that refuses to forget

My name is Hayden Phillips. I'm a 20-year-old Corporal with the Canadian Army — infantry, three and a half years in — based out of Hamilton, Ontario.

On November 7th, 2026 — the weekend before Remembrance Day — I'm going to walk 158 kilometres in a single, continuous push. No sleep. No rest days. One kilometre for each of the 158 Canadian Armed Forces members who died in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.

I carry 22 pounds. Not because it's comfortable. Because it's a number that haunts the veteran community — the weight of awareness for those we lose long after the wars end.

I'll step off my front door at 0500 and march east along Lake Ontario toward Queenston Heights — where General Brock made his final stand — arriving at the Bruce Trail's southern terminus cairn in the dark, in the early hours of November 8th. I'll read every name. Then I'll turn around and walk home.

"Every step is a name. Every kilometre is a life that should still be here."
All funds raised go to
Wounded Warriors Canada
Supporting Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans living with Operational Stress Injuries including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
woundedwarriors.ca →
The Weight of It
158
Kilometres
One for every Canadian soldier lost
158
Canadians
CAF members killed in Afghanistan, 2002–2014
22
Pounds carried
The weight of awareness — and of ongoing loss
~40
Hours straight
No sleep. No rest days. A single continuous march.
Every
9 days
A Canadian veteran dies by suicide

The war doesn't end when the deployment does. Canada loses one Regular Force Veteran to suicide approximately every nine days. When reserves and veterans post-service are included, the number climbs.

The 22 pounds on my back is a reminder that the money raised goes directly to people who are still fighting — just on a different front.

The 158

Every dot is a person

Each of the 158 points below represents a Canadian Armed Forces member who died in Afghanistan. A full human life. Someone's child, partner, parent, friend.

I'll carry all 158 names — printed and laminated — in my ruck for every step of the march. Their names are preserved by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Read every name →
158 Canadians. Every one of them had a name.
The Route

Burlington to Queenston Heights and back

Route Card · Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail
158km · Out & Back
0 Burlington 33 Grimsby 48 Jordan Hbr 70 Niagara-on-Lake 79 Queenston ↩ turn N
Outbound — 79km
Turnaround — Bruce Trail cairn
Return — same route, 79km home
km 0
Burlington — Step Off
Nov 7 · 0500 · Garmin LiveTrack active
km 16
Stoney Creek · Confederation Park
Waterfront Trail · ~0900
km 33
Grimsby
Crew stop · food · foot check · ~1200
km 48
Jordan Harbour
Mandatory rest · ~1600
km 70
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Night · lights on · crew stop · ~2330
km 79
Queenston Heights — Turnaround ↩
Nov 8 · ~0130 · Bruce Trail southern terminus · read every name
km 110–125
Jordan Harbour · Grimsby — Return
Marching home on Remembrance Day
km 158
Finish — Burlington
Nov 8 · ~2000 · Done.

The route starts at Appleby Line on the Burlington waterfront and follows the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail east through Stoney Creek, Grimsby, Beamsville, and Jordan Harbour before crossing into Niagara and following the river south to Queenston.

Queenston Heights is where General Isaac Brock was killed defending Canada in 1812. The Bruce Trail's southern terminus cairn sits there. I'll arrive at it in the dark of a November morning.

I'll read the names. Then I'll walk home.

Live GPS tracking
Garmin LiveTrack · Nov 7–8
Follow every step in real time — pace, heart rate, and GPS location. Link goes live at 0500 on November 7th.
Get the link
The Training

21 weeks to the start line

A structured progressive-overload plan built the same way any long-distance event is approached: build the base, add volume, rehearse the whole thing at scale, then taper in rested.

7
Weeks complete of 21
30
lbs carried in training
80
km overnight rehearsal
45
km peak week
Weekday + long ruck · week by week
21 weeks · km
18
1
20
2
22
3
25
4
26
5
28
6
30
7
32
8
34
9
36
10
80
11
32
12
45
13
—
14
20
15
—
16
—
17
22
18
32
19
20
20
—
21
Long ruck — complete
Weekday ruck — complete
Key session
Upcoming
Latest updates
Week 7
30km long ruck · 17km midweek
Seven weeks in. Weekly volume now sitting just under 50km across both sessions, all carried at 30lbs.
Week 6
Daily hip mobility added
Outer hip has been the limiting factor this block. Banded lateral walks, single-leg glute bridges and clamshells added on top of the plan. Already improving.
Weeks 1–5
Base built from 18km to 26km
Steady progression on the Sunday long ruck, weekday sessions climbing alongside it. Roughly three months of conditioning before that on top.
The dress rehearsal
80km overnight · August 29
One continuous overnight push covering the same ground as the outbound leg of the real thing. Gear, fuelling, pacing and sleep deprivation all tested while it still doesn't count.

Why train heavier. Every training ruck is done at 30lbs — eight pounds above the 22lbs carried on November 7th. The intent is simple: make event day feel lighter than everything that came before it.

Supporting work. Strength training five days a week, one weekly Zone 2 run, and daily hip stability work on top of the ruck schedule.

Where the money goes

Wounded Warriors Canada puts every dollar to work

Canada's leading operational stress injury charity. When a soldier comes home carrying wounds you can't see, Wounded Warriors Canada is there.

PTSD treatment programs
Clinically-proven treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries. Evidence-based therapy for CAF members and veterans who can't access what they need through standard channels.
Mental health
Peer support
Veteran-to-veteran peer support connecting those who have been through it with those going through it now. Sometimes the only person who can help is someone who's stood where you're standing.
Connection
Family programs
The families of veterans carry weight too. Wounded Warriors Canada provides support for spouses, children, and caregivers — because an OSI doesn't only affect the person who served.
Family support
First responder support
Beyond the military, Wounded Warriors Canada extends programs to first responders — police, paramedics, and firefighters — who face the same invisible wounds in service to Canadians.
First responders
Registered Canadian charity
Wounded Warriors Canada is a registered charity. All donations are tax-deductible for Canadian donors. 100% of funds raised through this march go directly to their programs.
Learn more →
The Weight
22
Pounds · Every Step · 158km

Twenty-two pounds. Loaded ruck, water, first aid, the names. Not a combat load — infantry carries double. But enough to feel it at kilometre one hundred and twenty.

The 22 carries two stories. Globally, it's the symbol of military mental health awareness. In Canada, approximately 20 active serving members die by suicide each year — and that number rises when veterans post-service are counted.

Every nine days in Canada, a veteran dies by suicide. I'll be on the road for 40 hours. The weight on my back is a reminder of why the money matters.

Funds support
Mental health treatment, peer support programs, and OSI care for Canadian veterans through Wounded Warriors Canada.
Media & Press

Key facts for journalists

  • Cpl Hayden Phillips, 20, Canadian Army infantry, Hamilton, Ontario
  • 158km continuous march — no sleep, single push — beginning 0500 November 7, 2026
  • Route: Waterfront Trail east to Queenston Heights (79km), returning same day (Remembrance Day)
  • One kilometre per Canadian Armed Forces member killed in Afghanistan, 2002–2014
  • 22 lbs carried — connecting to veteran mental health awareness
  • Every 9 days, a Canadian veteran dies by suicide — funds go to Wounded Warriors Canada
  • Full GPS live tracking via Garmin LiveTrack throughout the event
  • All 158 names carried in the ruck — printed list from Veterans Affairs Canada
Media contact
Cpl Hayden Phillips
Available for interviews, quotes, and background. Happy to speak to print, broadcast, and digital media.
Email for media enquiries
Official resources
The 158 names are maintained by Veterans Affairs Canada. Wounded Warriors Canada provides official charity details.
Follow the March

Stay with it, every kilometre

The march starts November 7th at 0500. You can follow the entire route live.