CBC Lite Sections News • Canada • Nova Scotia This Nova Scotian just ran his first marathon. He trained for it by eating donairs Richard Woodbury | CBC News | Posted: October 25, 2026 9:00 AM | Last Updated: Just now David Wadden trained by running and biking to 59 donair shops, raising more than $2,000 for Feed Nova Scotia Image | David Wadden Caption: David Wadden recently completed the 42.2-kilometre marathon at the Valley Harvest Marathon in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. Part of his training regimen involved running and biking to 59 donair shops, where he'd eat a donair. He later posted videos rating the donairs. (Paige Wadden/Submitted by David Wadden) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab Growing up in Cape Breton, David Wadden thought donairs were fixtures at pizza shops worldwide. It wasn't until he moved to Halifax that he learned the beloved official food of the city — spiced meat served on a pita with onions, tomatoes and a sweet garlicky sauce — was not a global thing. Well, not yet at least. This realization, coupled with the fact that he couldn't name a favourite donair spot to friends visiting from out of town, got him thinking about how to incorporate a journey of donair discovery, exercise and raising money for charity. "Thinking of exercise, I went to running, donair and marathon, kind of shove those two words together, and then once we had the name Donair-Athon … the ball really started to roll," said Wadden, 29. Wadden ran and biked to 59 donair shops in the Halifax area this year to eat donairs, rate them and post videos about the experiences. He's raised more than $2,200 for Feed Nova Scotia doing so. But that wasn't the hard part. After eating the donair, he faced the ungodly task of running or biking back home. Image | David Wadden Caption: (Submitted by David Wadden) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab This unorthodox training regimen resulted in Wadden running a 42.2-kilometre marathon two weeks ago at the Valley Harvest Marathon in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. Wadden said after eating the donairs, sometimes he felt great, sometimes not. * Halifax declares donairs the official food of the city "There was the odd time where I felt better after the donair, I don't know why," he said. "But most of the time I was a little sluggish getting back out and running. I didn't have any incidents, which was nice. I kind of expected maybe more bathroom breaks needed or, heaven forbid, a throw-up." While running after eating a donair is an achievement on its own, even more impressive is that Wadden did not have a background in running prior to this. He used to do indoor rock climbing, but had to find a new outlet after a shoulder injury. Wadden has an innate curiosity. He used to post videos to YouTube of himself learning new skills, such as how to juggle or cook the perfect steak, so this project is an extension of that attitude. Image | BRITE Halifax Donair 20171114 Caption: (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab Wadden said he selected Feed Nova Scotia because he wanted something food-related that was local. "I think it's the broader idea of helping the community," said Wadden. "I was lucky enough never to have those issues myself, but I always had family that … would fundraise for these different charities." Thomas Coldwell, Feed Nova Scotia's director of philanthropy and engagement, said every year there are hundreds of "third-party events" where people like Wadden fundraise for the charity or hold food drives. He said they're important for the charity. Coldwell said he's not sure if others have pitched donair-themed events to the charity. * Why this Smithsonian astronomer has a donair website * How a recipe for wild game donair ended up on an NRA website "Well, I love a donair, but I'm not sure I could happily bike after eating one, so it's great to see someone like David who's using their skills and putting out wonderful videos showcasing the Halifax donair … and also to tie it in with food insecurity and support fundraising," said Coldwell. Besides the out-of-pocket costs for the donairs at roughly $12 each, Wadden said he also had to buy running equipment. Despite the social media views, he said he hasn't made any money from the project. Wadden said he came up with the idea for the project about a year ago. Before he could actually do the Donair-Athon, though, he had to spend a few months training to get ready for it, dealing with complications such as shin splints and knee pain. How Wadden prepared for the marathon Starting in February, he'd do one donair excursion a week. In March, he upped the frequency, running two days a week and throwing in a third donair trip by bike, eventually landing on running three days a week. On the off days, he'd supplement the regimen with things like yoga or strength training. All told, he said he ran more than 500 kilometres and biked more than 300 kilometres through the Donair-Athon. Wadden said the highlight of the venture was meeting with people at the donair shops and doing the marathon itself. His least favourite part was the shin splints. "They were not fun one bit," he said. Prior to the Donair-Athon, Wadden said he only ate donairs once every couple of months, which explains why he couldn't suggest a favourite place to out-of-towners. Wadden said he's had enough donairs for 2026, but might resume eating them in the new year. Future marathons? While he rules out doing another full marathon, a half-marathon may be in the works. "I told myself once I finished this, I'm done [running]," said Wadden. "And now that I've finished the marathon, I really want to get back out there. "I'm going to see if I can fit it in because I do want to keep doing other stuff, but I definitely have a new love for running that I didn't think I would get." MORE TOP STORIES * Rare disease linked to gene in people with Black Loyalist lineage * 'Quite frustrating': Demand surges for N.S. fall vaccine appointments * Why Nova Scotia's AI data centre feels like a surprise reveal * Halifax Water breach raises questions about ethical hacking * Man accused of U.S. Consulate bomb threat now facing terrorism hoax charges More Stories Like This The related links below are generated automatically based on the story you’ve just read. Loading... CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check out our release notes. For high quality images, media, comments, and other additional features visit the full version of this story. Theme preference[Auto_] Contrast preference[Auto___] We and select advertising partners use trackers to collect some of your data in order to enhance your experience and to deliver personalized content and advertising. If you are not comfortable with the use of this information, please review your device and browser privacy settings before continuing your visit. Learn more about Online Tracking and Privacy Choices. * Corrections and Clarifications * Terms of Use * Reuse & Permission * Privacy Notice * Accessibility * Contact a Newsroom * Submit Feedback * Lite Help Centre * Jobs * RSS CBC Lite version: 1.9.1. ©2026 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights reserved.