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The Marathon Effect

by Val Hastings, Clergy Coach

In the Boston or New York City Marathon there are so many runners in the race that it is entirely possible for the first runner in the marathon race to complete the race before the last runner has even begun. This could happen because the large number of people entered in the race would require a stagger start. Imagine what it would feel like to be one of the last runners. You are preparing yourself physically and mentally for the marathon race. You are fully aware of the significant challenge that is before you. Any moment now you will begin. Then....you hear shouts and cheers. You wonder why there is so much noise. Then you see it. A small group of runners has just crossed the finish line. They have finished the marathon. You watch as they grab a cold bottle of water, a towel and begin the cool-down process. It's over---at least for them. But you haven't even begun!

Can you imagine what it would feel like to be one of the last runners in this marathon race? What would it feel like to watch the first runners complete the course and move on, oblivious to the fact that you haven't even begun? Would you feel anger and resentment toward the front runners? How would this experience effect your motivation to do your best in this marathon? How would it affect the next marathon race that you would enter? Would you ever enter another race?

While you might consider that the above scenario could never really happen in a marathon race, it happens all the time in our organizations! As leaders, since we are intimately a part of the planning and implementation process, we begin the change and transition process (the marathon race) much earlier than the others in our organization. We get a head start! Frequently, by the time the change is implemented, we are at the end of the change and transition process and are preparing to move on to something else. This is what is called THE MARATHON EFFECT.

An understanding of THE MARATHON EFFECT can give us tremendous insight into the anger and resentment people often feel toward those in leadership positions. THE MARATHON EFFECT can also help us understand the decreased or diminished motivation many people have toward a critical change that's being implemented. A simple awareness of THE MARATHON EFFECT can greatly reduce feelings of resentment and anger during times of major change.

While the first runners in our original scenario (the actual marathon race) could not change the fact that they had finished the race before most of the others had even begun, there were some things they could have done differently. For example, after finishing their race they could have cheered the last runners as they began their race. They could have simply said, It's a tough one, but you can do it! Instead of moving on, oblivious to the others, they could have simply stayed to the bitter end. Staying to the bitter end would have created a much more positive experience for the last runners. Or, before the race had even begun, they could have recognized THE MARATHON EFFECT and walked back to the last runners and spoken about what they all had in common: a MARATHON CHALLENGE! What a difference it could make!