Pick someone you admire.

Name the excellence in question.

Practice the excellence.

Marathon Monday is held annually on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April in Massachusetts. On that day, the Boston Marathon, which stretches 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) from Hopkinton to Boston, takes place.

The Boston Marathon is as much of a celebration as it is a race, yet it brings together some of the best athletes in the world to compete. In 2026, these included previous Boston champions, and eventual winners, Sharon Lokedi and John Korir. In the wheelchair division, perennial champions, Marcel Hug and Eden Rainbow-Cooper, were victorious.

More than 30,000 people competed on Monday, and because of moderate temperatures and a slight tailwind on the point-to-point course, times were fast. In total, an astounding 5,849 runners, including 609 women, completed the marathon in under 3 hours. It was a great day to be a running fan.

The race is over. Now what?

Big sporting events like the Boston Marathon are exciting. A lot of attention is drawn to the event. We see excellence on display and admire it. But then the day passes. The enthusiasm fades, and we carry on with our lives unchanged. This is a missed opportunity to grow.

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard describes the tendency to be mere admirers........

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