In a timely story (given the heat wave that we’re in), published by Runner’s World yesterday, it was reported that a major track meet in Paris (a place that’s also experiencing a deadly heat wave) moved forward last weekend only after organizers added extra heat precautions, offering a reminder that even at the highest levels of the sport, athletes are still negotiating what it means to compete safely in dangerous temperatures.
France has been dealing with a historic heat wave, and according to The Washington Post, police authorities had asked organizers to cancel several events, including the Paris Diamond League meet at Stade Charléty. The French athletics federation later confirmed the competition would continue in an adjusted format, with added medical and emergency support, more drinking water stations, shaded areas, and a delayed opening for spectators.
The writer went on to say “Heat changes the math for everyone: marathoners, run clubs, and people who think being fit means they can handle whatever the forecast throws at them. The sport has better systems now, but the risk isn’t new at all. Unfortunately, Francisco Lázaro is one of the earliest reminders of that.
Lázaro was 21 when he started the marathon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, with the official International Olympic Committee reporting that he was representing Portugal in the country’s first Olympic appearance (he’d already cemented his place in history as the winner of the 1910 Lisbon Marathon).
He never made it to the finish in Sweden, collapsing after running just over 19 miles and dying the next day in a Stockholm hospital from what was said to be combined sunstroke and heart trouble. He was identified as the first athlete to die during a modern Olympic competition setting..."
Sadly, Lazaro isn’t the only runner who ever pushed himself or herself to the point of collapsing or even death. Runners are known for their stubbornness and their fear of missing out by dropping out, even when it’s warranted and wise to do it. So they ignore the signs and the advice of experts.
This is the very reason the writer ended the story by saying, “Lázaro’s death belongs to Olympic history, but the warning remains very much current. Running will always celebrate toughness, and it should, but heat is not a normal obstacle to push through. It’s a condition that has to be managed before pride, momentum, or group energy makes the decision for you.”
And, you know, the Bible has a lot to say about pride which can be defined as an attitude of self-sufficiency, arrogance, and rebellion against God. It is condemned as the root of all other sins because it elevates human desires above God's will. This is the exact reason King Solomon wrote “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
This famous proverb written by the wisest man to have ever lived warns that excessive arrogance blinds people to their own weaknesses. By inflating the ego, pride causes people to take unnecessary risks, ignore warnings, and make poor judgments, ultimately triggering their own undoing.
Furthermore, when a person thinks they’re always right (something pride convinces them of), they stop listening to instruction from the Lord and from wiser people, setting themselves up for a severe fall.
So, knowing that pride leads to destruction, refuse to give into it my friend. Remain humble and allow the Lord to direct all your decisions. Remain coachable and teachable, and you will not only avoid disaster but will be counted among the wise yourself.
Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that excessive arrogance has no place in the life of a believer. Help us to remain humble that we might not fall into the trap of thinking that we don’t need You, that we know better than You or people smarter than us, or that there will be no consequences for our sin. Help us to remember that pride comes in many different forms that we might be on guard against all forms of it. It’s in Your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
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