These 3 Laurier students are running from Waterloo to Guelph for colorectal cancer research

For the past few weeks, Ryan Usprech, Ariel Babichev, and Michael Wieland have been grinding it out on the treadmill preparing for a 31-kilometre run.

It's a distance that's outside their comfort zones, but they’re not just training for any run. 

On Friday, at 3 p.m., the three Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) students are embarking on a run from the Laurier sign on University Avenue in Waterloo, Ont., all the way to the University of Guelph's gryphon statue on Stone Road to help raise awareness and funds for colorectal cancer.

“It's going to be pretty difficult," Usprech, who has a family history of colorectal cancer, told CBC News. "But in comparison to the fight that people who have colon cancer are going through, it's nothing."

The friend group is raising funds for colorectal cancer research and initiatives, a timely endeavour since March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month.

At the time of publication, the fundraiser has collected more than $6,000, exceeding its $5,000 goal.

Proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Colorectal Cancer Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to colorectal cancer awareness and education.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Cancer Society called for the lowering of colorectal cancer screening age from 50 to 45. 

This comes after there has been an alarming increase in colorectal cancer incidence among younger adults in recent years. Researchers found a person’s diet and lifestyle play a big role in their likelihood of developing colorectal cancer.

With big name celebrities such as James Van Der Beek and Chadwick Boseman succumbing to the disease before the age of 50, the push for earlier testing is warranted.

Shady Ashamalla, a Toronto doctor at Sunnybrook Hospital who operates on young