52 Marathons in 52 Weeks
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating the Spirit of America
By Karl W. Gruber

The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart.
~Bill Bowerman, track-and-field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc.

As I was blasting through yet another of my six-mile runs down the rugged dirt-and-gravel roads of rural Hocking County in southeastern Ohio, the thought occurred to me, Ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things! It came as no surprise to me that I should think this, as over the years of reading and studying, I had become a student of what I like to call “Positive, Possibility, Power Thinking.” I wasn’t necessarily an extraordinary runner, but I truly loved to run, especially long distances.

The brilliant rays of summer sunshine lit up the vapor that hangs low over open country fields in the early morning. I felt vibrantly alive, running strong, and then the thought hit me: I’ll run 52 marathons in 52 weeks to raise money and awareness for leukemia! The statement looped over and over in my mind as I finished the rest of my run, and I absolutely knew I could do it! (Keep reading)