Running the Race

While I was up north I was blessed to be able to watch a family race! What excitement there was about that entire day! First up, pick up your racing bibs with your number and chip for timing your personal race.

 As you can tell this was very serious business to get them positioned just right..

 ...but so exciting once they are on!

 Then as all serious racers know, it's time to warm-up!(can you tell that their Daddy is a runner?)

 Kai and Halle would be running in the Children's 1 Kilometer race while Matt would be running the Half Marathon...

 Mommy and Jude would be cheering them on this year.

 Time to line up...

 ...getting their directions

 ...and they are off!

 It wasn't too long however before the youngest was coming walking back with Daddy...

she was done! :-) She is only 3 after all...

 The four top runners had barely crossed the finish line when we saw a lone runner rounding the corner...

 ...he had his eye on the goal and instead of slowing down he actually ran even harder as he neared the finish line...(he later told me that he could hear me cheering him on and calling his name out)

 I got emotional as I watched him cross the finish, all alone with eyes focused. It reminded me of the scriptural challenge to 'Fix our eyes on Jesus .... and run the race with endurance....'  He had just one goal in mind and it didn't matter if he was running all alone, he was going to run his hardest to the very end.

 It really shouldn't be much of a surprise because he is his father's son after all....a runner who is totally focused on his goal, disciplined and strategic as he prepares for the next race, whatever that might be.

 He too ran an incredible race, his personal best in the half marathon...

 and the crowd was cheering as he approached the finish line because of the time.

We were all there cheering as well...

...well all except Jude who was snuggled in having a great nap in the middle of all the excitement.

But then he has a while to realize that he has been born into a family of runners.