‘Marathon Goddess’ running 52 marathons in 52 weeks

In honour of her father, "Marathon Goddess" Julie Weiss is running 52 marathons in 52 weeks to raise money for pancreatic-cancer research.

Weiss, who is part of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's TEAMHOPE, has already reached $100,000 of her $1 million goal.

"And I'm not stopping there, I'm not stopping until we find a cure," Weiss insists.

Weiss' father died of the disease in 2010, just one week before she qualified for her first Boston Marathon.

"I didn't realized how under-funded it was, and what a deadly disease it was," Weiss told Northland's NewsCenter. "I thought, I'm going to do something big and make a difference.

Weiss has already completed 10 marathons since beginning her challenge.

"My body's getting used to this. I'm changing my diet, becoming more healthy and learning to run more efficiently," the Santa Monica, California, runner said.

"When people tell me I'm crazy or nuts, it means I'm on the right track and doing something good."

Her final race will be in March 2013: the L.A. Marathon.