This Sunday, on 2 October 2022, approximately 50,000 people will gather and line up to run 26.2 miles through the streets of our capital city as the London Marathon returns. The runners, walkers and shuffle-alongers will have been training for months and will all be running for particular purposes: it may be a lifetime ambition; it may be to raise money for a charity close to the heart of the participant; it may be for the accolade of becoming part of the exclusive club of being a ‘marathoner’; it may be because they simply want to see if they can do it.
Of course, the setting of a specific goal and working towards it is beneficial for our wellbeing. When we have a purpose, it can help us to feel a sense of accomplishment and worth as we strategise how to get where we want to go while navigating the setbacks and the challenges on the way.
Not all of us will (or want to) run a marathon – but just glance to the side-lines this Sunday and you will see 6,000 volunteers and thousands more members of the public lining the route to cheer and encourage those pounding the streets in pursuit of the finish line. These encouragers take their precious Sunday morning time and use it to turn up and offer support to others, most of whom they do not know and will never meet. Their very presence and voices are vital, invaluable and life-affirming.
The marathon runner’s journey may look solitary, but really it is the story of the many people who help and encourage along the way. Running is good for your brain and your body, no doubt about that, but being a voice of encouragement in someone’s story is also beneficial for everyone and we can all do that for ourselves and each other every day. So, look out for the opportunities to say: “good job”, “well done” or “keep going, you can do this” and say it out loud and with sincerity. You may just be the reason that someone keeps putting one foot in front of the other today.
