Experience - Tony Malayil | KAIROS GLOBAL | JUNE 2026

AUTHOR : Tony Malayil

Title: Faith in Motion

Intro

From his recent experience, Tony Malayil shares parallels between training and running for a marathon, and growing in one’s spiritual life.

Article

When you think of St Paul, you may think of many things: persecutor of Christians turned to ‘greatest’ apostle, prolific writer, martyr, and one of the most revered saints in the Church. However, I would suggest another descriptor, a possible long-distance runner! Given how often St Paul refers to running in his letters and his deep understanding of the spiritual connections to running, I would not be surprised if he ran a race or two.

Running is a beautiful example of how God uses the world to bring us closer to Him. When we venture into nature, we witness the goodness of God and the beauty of His creation.  Similarly, in running, we not only learn the importance of physical endurance but also fortitude in our life, leading us to press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). Spiritual parallelism opens our eyes to God’s all-encompassing presence, moulding us into His likeness as we live in this broken world. Physical activity is an integral part of becoming holy and practicing virtue. Just as prayer and the sacraments align our souls and hearts to God’s will, exercise trains our bodies and minds to execute His will. While the spiritual benefits of running are easy to list, the path to receiving them is arduous. I learned this the hard way while training for and running a marathon last spring in Cleveland, Ohio, with Jesus Youth from around the US.

Up to that point, running had never been an interest of mine. It was a punishment reserved for when I lost in soccer practice, and my coach thought I wasn’t trying hard enough. I have always sought out opportunities to challenge myself, so when a new initiative called STRIVE was announced in late 2025, in which Jesus Youth from around the country would race together, I jumped at the chance. I saw it as an opportunity to prevail over this hated activity, and decided to sign up for the longest option, a marathon (26.2 miles or 42.2 km). It seemed like the perfect time to challenge this impossible hurdle, to take a leap of faith and effort. I went in expecting to just grow in physical endurance and discipline, but ended up also receiving a lesson on growing in spiritual strength.

Early in the process, the parallels between marathon training and spiritual formation became evident. The consistent habit of showing up for personal prayer and weekday slow runs, no matter how short or what we deem ‘fruitful’, both slowly work to conform our mind and body to reach our goal. It requires reordering our desires to choose the difficult over immediate pleasure for our greater good. In this reorientation, I had to struggle with my priorities, between training, sleeping, or spending time with others. In our busy lives, we often feel there isn’t enough time or space to focus on God. However, faced with the impending doom of the marathon, I was able to make time for hours of running a week. This realisation became a call, in daily life and even during this intense period of training, to prioritise God and time with Him. Just like St Paul wrote to the Corinthians, Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Throughout the training, God made His presence known at every turn. Several months later, the first big checkpoint for the marathon appeared: a half-marathon. All my preparation – waking up early, carrying enough water, bringing energy gels – wasn't enough to keep me from hitting a mental wall from exhaustion. Not knowing what to do, I turned to God for support. I prayed that the pain would leave, and when it didn’t, that it would be offered up to Him. This became an important lesson for me to always keep in conversation with God and relate to Him, whether it be the daily grind or intense suffering. Jesus, in His conversation with the rich young man, shows His desire for us to ‘follow me’; to enter a deep and constant relationship with Him. Just as physical training strengthens our bodies, steadfast spiritual exercise permeates into our being, reshaping how we live and see the world around us.

Throughout the months of preparation, our JY community had been constantly updating and motivating each other. It was also a place where I witnessed the faith alive. From giving advice to sharing recent struggles, the group became a source of strength during our training. The group was made up of a wide range of people – children, older parents, first-time runners, seasoned athletes, committed JY, those new to the movement – but even with all these differences, the focus on Christ was not lost. The night before the race was spent asking for protection and praying over injuries. Our final preparation was not carb-loading, but attending Mass the morning of the race and receiving the Body of Christ. As we began the race carrying Jesus in our bodies, it was a fulfilment of our call as the laity to remember that Christ is with us in everything we do in the world. 

After all this talk about building endurance through training and relying on Christ in the difficulties, one could assume that my marathon went well. Instead, it was as if all the pain and struggle from the training were brought together in one big amalgamation. From getting overconfident and running too fast to cramping up in the last 10 miles, everything I’d learned was being tested, and, by my standards, I was failing. I felt slow, abandoned, and that my body had failed me when I needed it the most. And in this suffering, when I turned to Christ, I realised that I would have to be in this pain, but that I was not alone. This feeling was reinforced when a random runner slowed down and accompanied me for the final portion of my race. After getting over the fact that he was faster than me while speed walking, I was able to accept my poverty and my need for help. I started to see the image of Jesus in him, leading me forward by example and safeguarding me. Soon, I was joined by several JY runners, running alongside me to the end. I was not afraid to struggle since I could lean on Christ and those around me. As I crossed the finish line, instead of feeling accomplished or angry, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

On reflecting on my experience, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to suffer and grow with Christ. From what began as a place where I could feel accomplished for what I did, it became a place for me to glorify God and keep my eyes on Him. Physical discipline enables us to take control of our bodies and unify them with our will. It prompts us to consider our priorities. Importantly, it reminds us that our journey is not completed alone; Christ and our brothers and sisters share in our joy and suffering. After receiving the fruits of this experience, I want to encourage others to come together and take up similar challenges, seeking to grow in virtue and physical strength, and to bring Christ with us in all things.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Author Profile

Tony Malayil is an undergraduate at Florida Atlantic University and a student at the School of Nazareth in Delray Beach, Florida, USA. Tony became a committed member of Jesus Youth last year and loves to encounter Christ in the outdoors and through others.

Photos