On a plain about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Athens, known as the Plain of Marathon, is a 50 ft. high mound. This mound covers the remains of 192 Athenians who fought there in 490 BC to defend Greece from the invading Persian army. The mound commemorates the heroes of the "Battle of Marathon." According to the legend, a runner named Pheidippides ran the approximately 25 miles to bring the news of victory to Athens, and then he died shouting, "Rejoice! We conquer!" In honor of this famous run, the marathon race was made a part of the Olympic games which were first held in Athens in 1896. Later the distance was increased to 26 miles.
Besides being a part of the Olympic games, many cities in the United States and other countries regularly schedule marathon races. Cities such as Boston, New York, and Chicago mark off special routes through the city for the race. South Africa has a marathon measuring 86 kilometers (53 miles). Many people take part in these races who are not really prepared to do so, and they don't expect to win; many of them drop out and never finish. Evidently men, women, and even children do it because they enjoy running. Serious runners, however, must do long and vigorous training, and the winner receives generous prizes from the sponsors.
Running 26 miles is not easy and requires great determination and stamina. There is a lot of physical pain as muscles become fatigued from being overly stressed; oxygen starvation causes runners to gasp for breath, and one becomes dehydrated from excessive perspiration. I understand that eventually one receives a 'second wind' after the heart rate catches up to the oxygen demand, but I have never put it to the test. Sometimes runners faint from exhaustion, dehydration, or heat stroke, and some fall and injure themselves. One such case is that of Stephen Akhwari from Tasmania who ran in the marathon in Mexico City in 1968. He was injured but continued to run; he finally finished an hour after the last runner, and most of the spectators had left the stands. When asked why he kept going he replied, "My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me here to finish."
Paul compares the Christian life to a race; "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 4:1). Once we start that race we are committed to finish; we may stumble; we may faint, falter, or become fatigued, but the whole universe is watching and they are cheering us on. Holy beings are stationed along the route to assist and succor. They have living water for refreshment. We must pick ourselves up and run to win the everlasting crown of The Cosmic Marathon.
