My One and Only Marathon

By David Faust

Christian life marathon: Finishing Strong with Endurance and Faith

David Faust shares the story behind his “one and only marathon,” explaining that he ran the final leg of a relay—part jogging, part walking—while supporting a fundraiser. Drawing on Paul’s race imagery and Hebrews 12, he connects the experience to the long, disciplined journey of following Christ.

Takeaways:

• The Christian life marathon is a long race that requires discipline, endurance, and a clear goal.
• Running well means throwing off what hinders us and fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).
• Encouraging teammates help us persevere so we can finish strong (2 Timothy 4:7).

I ran in a marathon once. As proof of the accomplishment, in my office I keep a medal I received at the conclusion of the 2014 Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. 

Before you are overly impressed, though, allow me to explain. 

I didn’t run the full 26.2 miles. I anchored a four-person relay team and completed the final leg of the race, which in the Flying Pig is about seven miles long. Three female college students joined me to raise money for a women’s dormitory project at Cincinnati Christian University. The three of them ran the harder parts of the marathon, huffing up and down the city’s winding hills. The final quarter of the race was flat, straight, and scenic. I trotted with thousands of runners alongside the Ohio River. By the time I took the baton, most of the other participants were already exhausted after running three-fourths of the race. 

Oh, and I didn’t actually run all seven miles. My normal exercise routine consists of daily walks and occasional hikes in national parks. I am a walker, not a runner. In the weeks prior to my one and only marathon, I increased my walking distances and got into better shape, but I jogged only about half of my seven-mile part of the race and walked the rest of the way. (Pride kicked in and I ran fast whenever we passed a crowd that gathered to cheer the runners!) 

Lessons Learned 

The apostle Paul used sporting events to illustrate spiritual truths. He reminded Timothy that “anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5, New International Version). He told the Philippians, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize” (Philippians 3:14). And he wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). 

The Christian life is like a marathon. Both are long journeys that require discipline, endurance, and focusing on a goal. To run well, we must remove distractions that weigh us down. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).  

It helps to be part of a team where runners encourage each other to push through hardship and climb hills so we finish strong and say at the end, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

Photo Finish 

It felt great to cross the finish line. With a smile of relief on my face, I ran into the football stadium where the Cincinnati Bengals play while my three weary teammates clapped and cheered. I knew my wife Candy would be waiting. She had promised to take a picture of me crossing the finish line. 

I was disappointed to learn she hadn’t taken a photo. “Why not?” I asked. 

Candy shrugged her shoulders and explained, “I wasn’t ready because I didn’t think you would finish so soon.” 

David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91^st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.