It's an inside joke with the band: Everybody runs away when the crowd is at its biggest.
For the past 11 years, Legal Limit has entertained thousands of runners, cyclists and inline skaters at the annual Terry Fox Hometown Run in Port Coquitlam - an audience that can range from 3,000 to 10,000 people, given the weather and milestone anniversary.
The Tri-City band, led by Coquitlam resident and realtor Nick Cardoni on vocals, started playing at the Canadian landmark site in 2002 after getting the stamp of approval from run organizer Dave Teixeira.
And it has been a proud partner ever since, kicking off the popular event with members of the Fox family - and, in 2005, with then prime minister Paul Martin and his wife, Sheila; premier Gordon Campbell; and Man In Motion Rick Hansen for the 25th run year - with classic rock covers.
Like everyone else involved in the Terry Fox Run, Legal Limit does not get paid for its services.
"It's all about giving," Cardoni said, adding, "We feel very fortunate to be living here and we want to give back to our community because they've given so much to us. Participating in something like this reaches our common goal to help those in need."
Formed in 1999 while camping, Legal Limit currently plays about three gigs a month for corporations, parties and pubs. But it is also known for its generosity in helping out non-profit groups such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
"People who are involved in charities do so out of the love of their hearts and want to be there," Cardoni said. "There's a huge sense of camaraderie and when you're the person putting on the entertainment - especially me, as the lead singer - there's this whole interaction of energy from the audience to the stage and back.
"It's that interaction why the old time rockers like Mick Jagger still do it: not for the money but because they're affecting people," he said.
Another reason why Legal Limit signs up for the Terry Fox Run each year is because the disease that took the hometown hero's life in 1981 continues to touch everyone today, Cardoni said.
On Sunday, for the 34th annual Terry Fox Run, Legal Limit will play from about 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with short breaks in between thanks to emcee and cancer survivor Bruce Moore. It has about 200 classic rock songs in its repertoire but will likely launch the run with Ritchie Valens' Come On Let's Go or Runnin' Down A Dream by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
The Terry Fox Hometown Run starts at 10 a.m. at the Hyde Creek recreation complex (1379 Laurier St., Port Coquitlam) on Sept. 14. To book Legal Limit, call 604-779-3070.
