Life has no finish line, well unless you consider the big one at the end.
Otherwise, despite the ongoing pursuit, that imaginary line everyone one seems to looking for remains a mirage.
There are many who dream of finally taking their foot off the accelerator once they've "made it" to life's imaginary checkered flag.
It's noted by phrases like, "once the kids are gone" and "when I retire" and "once we get this house paid off" but we all know the race continues long after those mile posts go by.
This was Race for the Cure weekend in Columbus, the annual celebration of the relentless pursuit of a cure for a disease that impacts thousands of women each year.
The Race for the Cure draws 40,000 participants each year give or take a thousand or two.
Some are runners looking to post a good 5k time, most are walkers who walk with some type of emotion literally worn on their sleeve.
Participants celebrating success stories walk stride for stride with those burdened by sadness.
Survivors proudly strut through the course knowing no matter where they finish or how long it takes them, the joy comes in the race itself.
They won't win this race. But they are winning a far more important battle.
This is not intended to be one of those "everybody-gets-a-trophy" situations.
The Race for the Cure wasn't established to identify a winner. Yet at the same time, it does a wonderful job of celebrating dozens of them.
This is crunch time for area high school track. The march to the state meet has begun. In three weeks, several young men and women will feel the exhiliration that comes with winning a state title.
In those glorious moments, those athletes will realize the race is over and they have won. They are the best and fastest in the state in their specialty event--this year.
They will accept the cheers and the high fives from friends and family, spoils of their hard work and dedication to being the best.
Saturday, thousands of people finished the race for the cure by crossing the finish line just south of the Ohio State House on High Street..
Simultaneously, hundreds- if not thousands of breast cancer survivors made their way up the survivor's tunnel toward the finish line.
Just like those high school athletes, the survivors are showered with cheers, tears, high fives and the adulation that comes with hard word and dedication to a goal.
They have not won the race. But they are winning.
They may never feel as though they've won because the race against cancer never really ends. But they reach the end of the 5k course knowing that not only are they winners on this day but with a touch of God's grace they'll have the opportunity to be a winner at the same event next year and the year after that and so on.
There are no gold medals waiting, no spots at the top of the podium. but these winners celebrate something many will take for granted: The opporunity to stay in the race.
