A father, who ran 1000km in memory of his late son, has shed tears this afternoon while crossing the finish line.

Ryan and Karen Fowler’s lives turned upside-down when their 17-month-old son, Rio, was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Rio was originally submitted to hospital with what his parents thought was gastro, but his condition was much more severe.

His arteries weren’t pumping enough blood to his organs and sadly the little boy never made it home.

While Rio was sick, Ryan and Karen turned to Bear Cottage where they found comfort.

The heartbroken dad went on a mission to raise funds for the charity by running from Melbourne to Sydney, a whopping 1000km distance.

Former premier Mike Baird was there when Ryan crossed the finish line and says he saw “humanity at its best”.

“It was an incredibly beautiful moment,” he says.

“A reminder that there are great things happening and great people doing great things in this country.”

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Ryan has already raised $166,000 in his son’s memory, with some of the funds going towards building another hospice centre for sick children and their families.

You can donate to ‘Rio’s Legacy’ HERE.

Image: Rio’s Legacy