“Hey hey, go go! To the finish line, Let’s GO!” echoed through the Walkway Marathon in Hudson Valley. On June 12, 2016, about 50 members of the World Mission Society Church of God in New Windsor volunteered at the second annual event.
The marathon included a full marathon, half marathon, and 5K across the historic Walkway Over the Hudson pedestrian bridge. Starting at 5 a.m., volunteers arrived early to greet participants and prepare the course. They came in bright yellow shirts and even brighter smiles, ready to encourage every runner.
Helping Runners Along the Course
Church of God volunteers served in many ways. They handed out water and Gatorade at stations, placed cones, and guided traffic along the route. They also encouraged participants with loud cheers, colorful signs, and pom-poms.
At the finish line, volunteers welcomed racers with cheers, food, and water until the very last runner crossed. Their dedication helped keep more than 3,200 participants motivated throughout the day.
Ms. Vrba, a participant, shared her gratitude. “It’s so wonderful to have all you folks out there cheering us on. It was great both at the start and at the finish. So it was a great experience. It was just an enjoyable community day.”
Even New York Senator Sue Serino attended the marathon to show her support. “It’s great seeing all the people that participate and from every age level,” she said. She also thanked the Church of God volunteers for their encouragement.
Encouragement for Every Runner
Running any distance takes endurance, sacrifice, and perseverance. Each runner had a personal reason for participating, yet all shared the same goal—to cross the finish line.
For the Church of God volunteers, supporting them along the way was a great joy. Following the example of Christ, they look forward to encouraging many more runners with the love of God.
4 Responses
This was a great event and a great opportunity to practice the teachings of Christ. I believe that the runners received energy from the volunteers, but that we also came to realize many things by seeing their efforts and drive to accomplish their goals. I hope that our small efforts will remain with them and that we, having seen their drive, can all continue to strive to finish the race that we each have ahead of us.
Everyone is a winner when running a marathon. There is much unity among the runners even though their purpose and drive to run may differ. The cheers and the vibrant energy overflowed throughout the Hudson Valley Rail Trail so the runners could push their limits and cross the finish line. The smiles of the participants and the volunteers demonstrated the encouragement and genuine love for one another put into practice according to the teaching of Christ. I look forward to seeing more events like this where the palpable joy can be felt among all peoples and nations around the world.
The event was awesome. I was able to see that the Church of God really moved the runners to finish the race. I saw that it was getting hard for them toward the end. But every runner made it. The Church was awesome. The volunteers stayed until the very end, until the last runner, and cheered him on as if he was the first one to cross the finish line. I was very moved by the efforts made and hope to join more events with the Church of God.
Wherever the church of God members are, there are bright smiles and the voice of encouragement and hope in this world. The members continue to be the salt and the light in this world.