Pastor Taylor Whitmore Reflects on Boston Marathon Finish

May 24, 2023209 views0

Pastor Taylor Whitmore Reflects on Boston Marathon Finish

2023-05-24T10:35:55+01:00

By Church News

Pastor Taylor Whitmore, the lead pastor of Southridge Baptist Church in Jefferson City, crossed the finish line at the April 17 Boston Marathon and ran that race with endurance: all 26.2 miles up and down the rainy hills of the city.A runner since high school, competing in the Boston Marathon, the premier event in the running world has been a goal of Pastor Whitmore’s for years.“If you get nerdy about running, this is the event,” Pastor Whitmore said. “People put it on their bucket lists if they’re runners.”He qualified for the race in November of 2021 at the Indianapolis Marathon with a time of 2 hours and 49 minutes and 18 seconds. His time in the Boston event was a touch slower, crossing the line at 3 hours, 13 minutes and 13 seconds.“It was satisfying, but I did not do great,” Whitmore joked. “Boston is a pretty difficult course, and I didn’t expect to run what I ran when I qualified. I expected I was would be 10 minutes slower, but I really, objectively had a bad day. Sometimes your legs just don’t have it.”But beyond reaching a goal and checking off a major accomplishment, he said running for him is a gift from God, one that helps him stay healthy — mentally, physically and spiritually.“The Lord has used running in purposeful and significant ways in my life,” Whitmore said. “Especially in my college years, but even now. Through running, He’s drawn me back to Himself. It’s not like I’m praying every moment I run or that it’s a crazy worshipful experience, but I’m truly thankful to Him for running. It makes me healthier, more efficient, I sleep better, and I just do better in all of life when I’m running. It helps me have goals beyond ministry or ‘church-related’ goals.”Whitmore said he “probably” will run in another marathon, but he doesn’t have any definite plans yet. Training for this marathon meant at least an hour a day of training, time away from his wife, Jacquee and family.“She deserves huge credit,” he said. “Every day after work, every Saturday morning, she’s staying with them an extra hour while I run.”ALSO READ: Kids With Incarcerated Parents Hear The Gospel At Sports Camp