You Don't Just Run an Ultra Marathon

For many of us, our first, and sometimes only, memory of running is our reluctant participation in school cross country. You remember how it goes. Half the class have given up before it begins, choosing, to walk it from the start, or at least until once they round the first corner out of sight of the of that PE teacher (not the funny that everyone loved, the strict one who made everyone do press ups). The other half of the class are confident but clueless. The whistle blows and, jostling for position, they sprint off down the hill until their lungs are burning, their legs are cramping, and the taste of metal overwhelms their dried up mouths. Either way, everyone spends the rest of the afternoon slowly trudging through mud.

Even I didn’t enjoy cross country in school. Yet now I love running ultra marathons in my spare time. How is that possible?

I’ve discovered, as so many others have, that when you work to overcome the obstacles to physical endurance, you can turn what was once an arduous experience into something that actually brings joy, even when it’s tough. It turns out that doing difficult things is enjoyable. But it takes some work.

In the New Testament we are regularly encouraged to see the life of faith as a difficult, but ultimately rewarding, foot race. The writer of Hebrews invites us to,

“run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

The invitation is not to run with speed or enthusiasm but to run with hypomonē, which is translated here as perseverance but can just as easily be rendered endurance. Hypomonē is characterised by patience, steadfastness, resilience, loyalty and determination.

The life of faith, it seems, is an ultramarathon, not a sprint.

But – and I’m sorry if this comes as a shock to you – running an ultramarathon is hard. No one in their right mind wakes up one day and thinks “today I’ll run my first ultramarathon”. (Unless you’re David Goggins.*)

Of course not! Athletes prepare diligently for a race. They train their bodies and prepare their minds for the distance. They devise race strategy and dial in nutrition. They study the route, noting it’s summits and valleys. They gather the kit they need and recruit a support crew they can depend on to see them to the finish line. In short, they do all they can to ensure that they have a successful race.

The New Testament advice to us is to do the same - to consider how we can best equip ourselves for a long journey of discipleship and adventure with Jesus. We want to be like Paul, who after enduring more than most could possibly imagine for the sake of Christ, was able to say at the end of his life:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” 2 Tim 4:7

In this new series of short blog's released weekly, we'll explore the importance of Faith Endurance as we run the race with Jesus.

Welcome along.

*You’re not

This post is part of a series of short blogs titled Faith Endurance, based on a sermon series preached at St Peter’s Morley in Spring 2024. Subscribe to get notifications each time a new blog is released.