University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
8 Lessons from a Marathon (That Have Nothing to Do With Running)
Article

8 Lessons from a Marathon (That Have Nothing to Do With Running)

Sahil Bloom
Sahil Bloom, 2024
Read the article

Read or listen offline

Amazon Kindle
auto-generated audio
  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×
auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Concrete Examples
  • For Beginners
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from the plain of Marathon to the city of Athens to deliver a message announcing the defeat of an invading Persian army. Upon completing his mission, he collapsed and died. Indeed, Pheidippides’s feat offers a useful metaphor: Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Entrepreneur, writer, and fitness enthusiast Sahil Bloom examines the lessons a marathon road race — a 26-mile [42-km] test of stamina and endurance — can impart.

Summary

Your goal is not the finish line. 

When entrepreneur Sahil Bloom finished a marathon road race in a time of 2:53:38, he was initially disappointed. Although he had run four minutes faster than his previous time, he had been hoping to shave a further four minutes off his personal best. Nevertheless, he learned to appreciate the result, because he realized that his time was “just a checkpoint, not the destination.”

To succeed in life, play the long game. Achieving a goal isn’t a conclusion; the goal is merely a touchstone that lets you know how you’re performing. Often, falling short of a goal provides deeper enlightenment than surpassing a goal. 

Before starting any new project, set yourself an A, B, and C goal.

As Bloom began his race, he hoped to run a time of 2:45. Alas, he was running into a strong headwind. As the race progressed and his body grew weary, he realized his A goal was overly ambitious. Bloom shifted his mindset and focused on his B goal of 2:49. But by the 20th mile, cramp had set in. If ...

About the Author

Author and entrepreneur Sahil Bloom is the creator and writer of The Curiosity Chronicle newsletter.

Comment on this summary