Marathon

I’ve never run a marathon
And know I never will,
Yet watching all the runners run,
I get my yearly thrill.

To say they are amazing, well,
It doesn’t really nail it.
The mountain’s twenty-six miles high
And damn, they mean to scale it!

The leaders, or elite, they’re called,
Have bodies made of granite;
Their sculpted muscles represent
Perfection for this planet.

To see them running by so fleet,
With their gazelle-like strides,
Makes me wonder where inside
Their stamina resides.

And more remarkable to me
Are those not so elite:
The ordinary yet determined
Amateur athlete.

I saw a lot of them today
In pain at eighteen miles,
Cramping up and slowing down
And often lacking smiles.

Yet most of them will make it through,
Although it may take hours;
They all deserve to know how much
Their attitude empowers.

So here’s to marathoners all,
No matter when you finish;
My admiration grows each year,
And never will diminish.

Although you chose this challenge
Each for reasons that you needed,
The inspiration you provide
Means that you have succeeded.