Nick Symonds.
His name will not be noted from the 2012 Olympics in Men’s Track and Field.
Even though he is the U.S. champion in the 800 meters he only managed to finish fifth in Thursday’s final.
But here’s the thing: he was fifth in the greatest race ever run in the history of the event.
The winner, David Rudisha, from Kenya, set a world record, becoming the first human ever to run the distance under 1:42. Only four times in the history of the Olympics had runners broken the 1:43 mark. Thursday, five did it in the same race, including Symonds.
“Maybe I didn’t bring home a medal,” he said, “but I did something I thought I’d never, ever, be able to do.”
His time of 142:95 would have won a gold medal in every Olympics except 1996. Only two Americans have ever run the event faster.
Seven runners in all ran their personal best. Each place in the eight-person event set a record for that place.
Something happens when you are part of t he greatest race.
This Sunday at the Gathering Church I will continue the series, Growing in Wisdom: A Summer Survey of the Bible. We will cover the section of the Bible known as the Epistles and will focus on Titus 2:11-15. This passage identifies the main themes of the entire Bible.
It’s a call to be part of the greatest race ever.