In 490 bc the Battle of Marathon took place between the invading Persian army and the Athenian army. The marathon race originated from the events surrounding that battle.

The very first marathon, a long-distance footrace then of 25 miles, was held in 1896 at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. The race was staged to celebrate the run of messenger Pheidippides from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens in 490 bc.

The story goes that Pheidippides ran the 25 miles to announce the victory of the Athenians over the Persian army. Upon reaching Athens and proclaiming, “Rejoice. We conquer!” he fell down dead. Some 2,000 years later, his countryman, Spiridon Loues, won the 1896 marathon.

Since that time, the marathon has been a staple of every Olympic competition. The race was imported to the United States, when the Boston Athletic Association held its first ever marathon in 1897. The Boston Marathon remains the oldest continuously held marathon.

The distance of the marathon was later established at 26 miles, 385 yards at the 1908 Olympics in London, because that was the distance between the start at Windsor Castle to the finish line at the Olympic stadium.

Running a marathon understandably requires great stamina and a strenuous training regimen. But it also requires that runners follow the rules and finish the course. Running 24 miles won’t cut it. Jumping in at the last two miles and crossing the finish line isn’t acceptable. Anything less than running the full course is cheating.

It’s understood by any athlete participating in any event that in order to qualify for the prize, one has to follow the rules and perform according to the accepted standards. Cheaters are disqualified. The same is true in living the Christian life. Like athletes running a marathon, we have to train hard, follow the rules, and keep to the course that God has set before us. At points along the way, we will grow tired. We may even feel like quitting, or perhaps even cheating, to finish the race. That’s when we need to rely on God to help us maintain the course and finish the race.

Only then will we win the prize.

Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize (2 Timothy 2:5).

To Do

Create a training schedule for following God’s rules each day. You might want to include a time for prayer, a time to read the Bible, and time to worship God.

Also on this day

Today is Teddy Bear Day.

1850—California became America’s 31^st state.

1890—Harlan Sanders was born. He was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

1999—The Sega Dreamcast™ game system went on sale. By 1 pm, all Toys “R” Us locations in the United States had sold out.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.