Fourth Runday of Advent: Tales from the Trail

For these last few days of Advent, I thought I would do something a little different. Namely, I want to inaugurate a new Running Catholic feature, one that will pop up from time to time as circumstances warrant: Tales from the Trail. The title is not to be taken too literally — many of these stories come not from a trail, but from a road, or a track, but that’s beside the point. What matters is that they are real-life examples of true human kindness and decency that I or others have witnessed while running. This is, for me, one of running’s great joys: When traveling by foot, we are able to see much more of the life that takes place around us. Sometimes, the characters we meet and the examples we see along the way make the run all the more worthwhile. Tales from the Trail is an effort to share some of these personalities and stories with a broader audience.

Tales from the Trail: The Sexagenarian Angel
Downtown Los Angeles, just past dawn. I’m waiting for the start of the L.A. Marathon amid the throngs of thousands, making chit-chat with anyone who’s interested. Perhaps sensing that I am game for some gab, a 60-something woman works her way through the crowd and comes right up to me. Immediately, she starts asking questions. Where am I from? Is this my first marathon?

I answer and return the volleys. She has been running L.A for some 20-odd years. And she has stories to tell. One good one stands out.

Two years ago, she was running the race at her slow but steady pace when, about midway through, she stumbled upon a twenty-something young lady who was falling to pieces. This “girl,” as the sexagenarian called her, simply wasn’t prepared. She was exhausted, her feet hurt, and she was crying. She had already given up on running, and was now walking, periodically calling her mom on her cell phone for emotional support. She was ready to quit.

Well, our sexagenarian marathoner wasn’t going to stand for that. “I told that girl that we were going to finish this race. Me and her. I told her I’d walk beside her the whole way till we were done.” And she did. The prepared sexagenarian didn’t give a second’s thought to her own race time, and instead supported the unprepared 20-something the whole way. “She would call her mom on the phone and say, ‘Mom, Mom, you’re not going to believe it, but there’s a lady here your age who’s helping me!’”

After crossing the finish line, they hugged and parted ways, but the story doesn’t end there. One year later, when the sexagenarian was running L.A. yet again, she crossed the finish line and this time — much to her delight — was met by the twenty-something, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).