TWW-Running the Race

Some Olympic Track Stars Shone Brightly, Others 'Crash and Burn' The Wired Word for the Week of August 18, 2024

In the News

The men's and women's marathons took place on August 10 and 11, respectively. The racers had to deal with unprecedented heat, humidity and what some called a "hellishly hilly" course. Others have described it as "a punishing … torture test," "grueling," "treacherous," "sadistic," "extreme," "viscous" (sic) and "the most difficult marathon course in the history of the Games."

Canadian marathoner Malindi Elmore told her husband the course looked "ridiculous."

Dathan Ritzenhein, who coaches Kenyan elite marathoner Hellen Obiri, said, "It doesn't look like you'd run up that. It's just comical."

Whereas the last three Olympic marathons were relatively flat, the 2024 race course featured three climbs with more than 1,430 feet elevation gain between miles 9 and 18. The inclines range from 4 to 13.5%. The downhill sections can be just as brutal as the ascent.

Before the race, Ed Eyestone, a coach and two-time Olympian, predicted, "This marathon will have a debris field in the final miles."

While the pursuit of glory is a common motivation for Olympians, this year many just hoped to survive the course!

In the men's marathon, Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola, 32, named as a substitute only two weeks before race day, after his teammate Sisay Lemma was injured, claimed gold with an Olympic-record time of 2:06:26. Somali-born Bashir Abdi, 35, of Belgium, placed second, and Kenya's Benson Kipruto, 33, crossed the finish line in third place.

Two-time defending champion, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, 39, known as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) of the marathon, was almost a full minute behind the leaders at the halfway stage and struggled to walk up the hill at Mile 18. He bowed out of the race soon after, complaining of back pain.

"Today was a tough day at the office. You can train for a very long time, but one day, it can happen," Kipchoge said. "It's like boxing. You can go to a training camp for five months and be knocked out in two seconds. But life will continue."

Ethiopian-born Sifan Hassan, 31, logged nearly 40 miles of Olympic racing between August 2 and August 11. Competing for the Netherlands, she won gold in the women's marathon with a new Olympic record of 2:22:55 after winning bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m races. No athlete had taken medals in all three events at the same Olympic Games since 1952, when Emil Zatopek won three golds for what was then Czechoslovakia. Hassan said her goal was not necessarily to win medals in each race but simply to complete all three.

"What was I thinking?" she said afterward.

During the 26.2-mile course, the Dutch marathoner kept asking herself, "What have I done? What is wrong with me?" After she crossed the finish line, she admitted, "Every single moment I regretted that I ran the five and 10,000."

Her coach, Tim Rowberry, said Hassan finds "huge satisfaction in doing something that's really hard and unconventional."

Tigst Assefa, 27, of Ethiopia took silver and Hellen Obiri of Kenya snagged the bronze medal in the women's marathon.

In the women's 400m hurdles August 8, American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, 25, became a two-time Olympic champion with a time of 50.37 seconds. Fellow American Anna Cockrell won the silver medal while Femke Bol of the Netherlands took the bronze.

"I credit all that I do to God. He's given me a gift," McLaughlin-Levrone said after the race. "Whenever I step on the track, it's always the prayer of 'God let me be the vessel in which you're glorified' whatever the result is, how I conduct myself, how I carry myself, not just how I perform."

"So it's just freedom in knowing that regardless of what happens, He's going to get the praise through me," she added. "That's why I do what I do."

"God has been so kind in just allowing me the opportunity to, first of all, fail without him and realize my need for him," McLaughlin-Levrone continued.

"The Lord is sufficient in all things, and being able to glorify him throughout my career and through my life on the track has shown me a purpose bigger than myself."

The U.S. women's 4x100m team won gold in their final, August 9. Sprinter Gabby Thomas, who ran the anchor leg of that race, also won gold in the 200m and the 4x400m relay. Thomas says she dreams of opening her own hospital or nonprofit clinic, making health care more accessible to those in need. She hopes to inspire the next generation "to work hard … be kind to people and to give back to their communities when they can."

The United States men's 4x100m relay team won its qualifying heat August 8, but was disqualified due to a botched handoff of the baton in the final the next day. This is the fifth straight time the U.S. men have failed to medal in this race.

What happened? Noah Lyles, who won bronze in the 200m race and who had been expected to run the anchor leg in the 4x100m final, came down with Covid-19 and ended his 2024 Olympics. The Americans reshuffled the lineup, but perhaps lacked adequate practice and training with the new order. The Canadian team, which only placed third in its own qualifying heat, took home the top prize on Friday with a time of 37.50.

Britain's Megan Keith crossed the finish line for the women's 10,000m final August 9 alone after injuring her ankle. Teammate Eilish McColgan, who finished 15th, waited there for over two minutes to greet her.

"All the medals are great, but honestly this race by Megan Keith is one of the most inspirational things I've seen at the Olympics," a fan wrote on social media. "She was so far behind, but she never gave up. She went to race and she finished her race, and the crowd were right behind her as she did."

Keith finished 23rd in 33 minutes and 19 seconds.

More on this story can be found at these links:

The 2024 Olympic Marathon May Be the Hardest in History. Run U.S. Men's Olympic Relay Team Disqualified After Disastrous Handoff. Newsweek Olympics 2024: Tamirat Tola Wins Gold in Brutal Men's Marathon. ESPN Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Credits God After Doing What No Woman Has Done Before: 'Let Me Be the Vessel'. Christian Post With Marathon Gold, Sifan Hassan Tests the Limits of Endurance. The New York Times

The Big Questions

How is Christian discipleship like:

1. Running a cross-country marathon? 2. Racing hurdles? 3. Participating in a relay race? 4. Sprint racing on a track in a stadium?

Is Christian discipleship more about speed in the short term, or endurance over the long haul? Explain.

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance happen to them all. For no one can anticipate one's time. Like fish taken in a cruel net or like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them. (No context needed.)

The Teacher observes how little control humans really have over so much of what happens in life. Sometimes the swiftest runner falls or fails to make the cut, a mighty army is defeated by a smaller but clever adversary, the hardest worker is not fairly compensated.

Many athletes in our lesson have discovered that after training for years, perhaps for a single event, their hopes and dreams for glory were dashed in seconds by injury, a stumble, a faster competitor, a pandemic, an aging body, or some other unexpected reality. While such situations may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, to the individuals who experience them they can feel like cruel calamities.

Question: When faced with such disappointments, what strength do you draw from your faith to sustain you?

2 Timothy 2:1-2, 5 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. … And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. (For context, read 2 Timothy 2:1-13.)

One of the metaphors Paul used to describe Christian discipleship was an athletic competition. Here he lifted up three ideas:

1. Remember the source of your strength 2. Pass along what you have heard from your "coach" to capable people who can pass it along to others as well 3. Play by the rules; don't expect to win gold if you cheat

Key factors that help an athlete build up physical strength, stamina and skill are proper nourishment, adequate rest, good training, disciplined and regular practice and the support of an excellent coach, teammates and community (family, friends and fans).

In the context of these verses, Paul stressed that though he suffered hardship, even being chained like a criminal for the gospel of the risen Christ that he preached, the word of God is not chained (vv. 8-9). Paul understood that even when things look bleakest, victory is ours in Jesus Christ (vv. 11-12).

Questions: What is the source of our spiritual strength, according to Paul? How can that source of strength empower us? What key factors help a Christian build up spiritual strength, stamina and skill, and how do they compare with factors that help athletes develop physical strength, stamina and skill? Which assets are already functional in your own spiritual life, and which need greater emphasis so that you can make greater progress in your walk with God? How does the second idea in the list above fit the metaphor of a relay race? What is required of athletes to run a successful relay? What is required of us to successfully pass on the faith to others without "dropping the baton" or being disqualified for another reason? How does the third idea (competing according to the rules) apply to Christian discipleship? To what "rules" is Paul referring? What constitutes spiritual "cheating"? What is the spiritual "crown" for which we train and race?

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom; do not let the mighty boast in their might; do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the LORD; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the LORD. (No context needed.) 2 Corinthians 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. (For context, read 2 Corinthians 11:12-30.) 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 … but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (For context, read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.)

The prophet Jeremiah warns against boasting of one's own wisdom, wealth or power. Instead, any accolades and all acclaim belong to God. Most of us have probably seen athletes give honor to God for giving them the strength to achieve great things they believe they could not have accomplished in their own power.

Paul picked up the theme in many of his letters (Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Corinthians 13:3-4; Galatians 6:14, and elsewhere). In 2 Corinthians he lists several reasons why, on a human level, he might have cause to boast, but concludes that such boasting is meaningless, since God's power is shown most perfectly against the backdrop of our weakness.

Many of us learned the song, "Jesus Loves Me," when we were children. Part of the lyric reads: "Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong."

A contemporary chorus contains this lyric: "And now, let the weak say 'I am strong, because of what the Lord has done for us."

Questions: Why might we be tempted to boast about our own physical or mental attributes, assets or possessions? Why is doing so "a fool's errand"? Why might we resist boasting about our weakness? What doors for blessing and ministry might open up when we do highlight God's power against the backdrop of our weakness?

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (For context, read Hebrews 12:1-13.)

Hebrews 11 contains a Hall of Faith Heroes who have gone before us. Some of their experiences were joyful, some painful, some brought elation while others were heavy with grief. Yet in this image, we see them all, having finished their own races of faith, alive in the resurrection power of God in Christ. These and many other people of faith surround us, cheering us on and rooting for us in our own race of faith.

Just as Olympian runners put down any backpack and remove any excess weights that might impede their speed, we are to discard everything that might interfere with our movement forward toward Christ. Some of those weights are specific sins, but others may be neutral or even good things that simply distract us, drawing our eyes from the prize of the high calling of following Jesus.

Questions: Who in the great cloud of witnesses, from biblical times, in the history of the church, and in your own life, most inspires you to follow Jesus? What specifically have you learned from them? What weights have you already discarded so that you can run your race of faith unencumbered? What weights or sins still limit you from reaching your full potential? What would help you set those weights aside? What strength do you gain from looking to Jesus, from reflecting on how he ran and completed his race of faith?

For Further Discussion

1. Conner Mantz, 27, and Clayton Young, 30, who represented team U.S.A. in the 2024 Paris Olympics men's marathon, have relied on each other since they became training partners in 2017 at Utah's Brigham Young University. Both men are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.             "Having Conner there every step of the way, … that's really where the strength comes from," Young said. "I know that Conner is going to keep me accountable, he's going to keep me fit, he's going to keep me fast and focused as we approach Paris.”             "When trials and tribulations come upon us, we're able to really lean on our faith in Jesus Christ, and lean on his atoning power and his grace," Mantz added. "Having that knowledge and that faith, it definitely helps in running, because then you know that running is just a sport. It's just something for fun, but there are things that are so much more important. I think having that grounding is so necessary when you have … a bad workout or a bad race."             What lessons for your own spiritual life can you take away from the comments of Mantz and Young?

2. Sue Doherty, 50, of Springfield, Virginia, had run 28 marathons before she learned that she could run the Olympic marathon course in Paris -- not alongside the elite marathoners, but at a different time, with other amateur athletes eager to test their mettle in the Marathon Pour Tous, or the Marathon for Everyone.             Romain Lachens, the director of engagement for Paris 2024, said that the inclusive activities were added to inspire the public to break "sedentary lifestyles." From the 400,000 amateur runners from all over the world who applied to participate, 20,000 were selected by lottery to race in the 10K, and another 20,000 entered the marathon by the same method.             "For the first time in history we're trying to let (Olympic) spectators become actors," said Aurélie Merle, the director of sports competition for Paris 2024.             "Ever since I was a little kid it's been a dream of mine to go to the Olympics," Doherty said before leaving for Paris.             Former Olympians from various sports disciplines ran with the amateur athletes.             Doherty said she is thrilled that as a "normal person" she's getting an opportunity to compete in an Olympic setting.

How might the Marathon for Everyone mirror the Christian ideology and experience?

3. Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson, the fifth fastest woman of all time in the 100m and the second fastest woman in the 200m, could not compete at the Paris Olympics due to injury. Though deeply disappointed, when she announced her withdrawal on social media, Jackson asked rhetorically, "Should I accept the good and not the bad?"             After the patriarch Job suffered unimaginable losses, of his wealth, his children and his health, his embittered wife suggested he should abandon his faith in God, curse God and die. "But he said to her, 'You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips" (Job 2:10).             What, if anything, are we entitled to receive from God?             What attitude did Jackson and Job display that allowed them to accept adversity as well as bounty and blessing? How might that attitude help us cope with negative circumstances in our own lives?

4. "The father of marathon," Japanese marathoner Shizo Kanakuri, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest time to complete a marathon with a time of 54 years 8 months 6 days 32 minutes 20.3 seconds.             Kanakuri traveled for 18 days to take part in the 1912 Olympic men's marathon in Stockholm, Sweden. Then his coach came down with tuberculosis and couldn't provide Kanakuri with the pre-race training he needed. Excessive heat led to the death of one runner, Francisco Lázaro, and to heat exhaustion for Kanakuri and dozens of other competitors.             Sixteen miles into the race, Kanakuri, weak from hyperthermia, staggered off the course into a nearby garden party, where he drank orange juice for an hour. Embarrassed, he left Sweden without notifying race officials that he had not completed the course. For 50 years, his name was on Sweden's list of missing persons.             Decades after beginning the 1912 marathon, Kanakuri was found teaching geography in Japan. Sveriges Television offered him the chance to complete the race, which he did on March 20, 1967.             "It was a long trip," the marathoner remarked. "Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren."             What encouragement can Kanakuri's story offer us today?

5. Reflecting on Megan Keith's Olympic experience in the news article above, think about what constitutes victory. When might simply persevering and finishing a race, even in last place, be as much of a victory as winning a gold medal? How might this apply to Christian discipleship? What constitutes spiritual triumph?

Responding to the News

Give a listen to "His Strength Is Perfect" by Steven Curtis Chapman (Video 3:06) as you reflect on the source of our strength, and give thanks to God for empowering us when we are weak.

Prayer suggested by Hebrews 12:11-13; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

O God, help us not to chafe under your spiritual discipline as you train us in the ways of peace, righteousness and godliness. Instead, inspire us by Christ's own example to lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees to follow his path, that we might be healed and become instruments of healing. Thus may we glorify God in our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit within us. Amen.