Tomorrow is the Fargo Marathon. I’ve been training for this race since January but this is more than a race. The significance of this race is tied to my elementary best friend, Kristie.
I came home from school and told my mom that she had picked me to be her friend on the playground. We were two shy farm girls and we just clicked. We had adventures with Girl Scouts, sleepovers, survived the awkward haircuts and huge glasses stage of life. In high school and college we lost touch but reconnected our friendship as adults to discover we had both become runners. Kristie lived in Fargo and the Fargo Marathon racing events had become her favorite. She would run the 5k on Friday, then turn around and run the 10k or half marathon Saturday. She had wanted to run the Fargo Marathon but Kristie crossed life’s finish line first and was unable to complete her marathon.
In 2021, with Kristie as my inspiration, I ran the Fargo Marathon, calling it Kristie’s race. I prayed for her family throughout the miles and with her name written on my arm raced the final 1.2 miles for her, leaving it all on the road to the finish line.
After finishing I had this small voice urging me to consider the Boston Marathon. This is something I had never thought about since I was an average runner and did not consider myself to be fast enough for Boston. I was shocked to hear from Kristie’s sister that not only had Kristie wanted to run the Fargo Marathon but she had also wanted to run Boston.
Tomorrow I will be running Kristie’s Marathon with aspirations of crossing the finish line with a Boston Marathon qualifying time (BQ). To say I am nervous and scared is an understatement. I know that I can run a marathon, what I do not know is if I have enough in me to push hard for Boston. I can hear Kristie telling me that I’ll do great. So tomorrow I will go out there and “run with perseverance”.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
This one is for you Kristie!