In reality, a world-record winner receives exactly the same reward as every finisher - the satisfying sense of having succeeded against the odds, the knowledge of having proved inner strength, and the closure of having completed a quest. The individual nature of running makes the fulfillment it gives profoundly personal. The great thing about gaining self-esteem from finishing a marathon is that every runner knows it's not just vanity or self-importance - they really did it, the hard way, and they have the medal to prove it.

Running is not just about fitness and competition; it's about changing our lives. Most of us run because it makes us feel significant, powerful, and in control, not just because we want to compete. When people who have never had a sense of accomplishment before suddenly gain it, it transforms every aspect of their lives. They become increasingly fearless. People always realize they can do more when they first do something at all. Confidence grows, and with it, so does vision.

No matter how hard it was, or how much I didn't want to run that day, I always felt better afterward. Some days, that's all that got me out the door. The best part was at the end of every day, when I had a sharp sense of having accomplished something measurable and definable. I won a little victory every day that nobody could take away from me. I don't have that sense when I don't run.