Lyric ©2008 John and Steven Macdonald
Music ©2008 Steven Macdonald
A boy, alone
Playing on a warm spring day
Lost his first race
And had his life forever changed
Chained by his body
Held to a pace he could not stand
But he found a way-
That is how he became a man
The Sprinter ran a marathon
Ran it well and true
Was rarely first but always won
Always did what he had to do
He seemed so fast
He caught the wind with his soul
Great bursts of speed
And always toward the goal
He began to teach
For children, he could set the pace
For no reward
Except the joy upon their face
The Sprinter ran a marathon
Made the best of his choice
Always finished what was begun
He always listened to that inner voice-
A sprinter runs alone
His focus on speed and to cross that line
He ran with thousands
A marathon worthy of all time…
(And he taught me)
“Never give up
When you fall, get back in the race
Never quit
And help others near your place”
The Sprinter ran a marathon
Ran it well and true
Was rarely first but always won
Always did what he had to do
The Sprinter ran a marathon
Made the best of his choice
Always finished what was begun
He always listened to that inner voice-
My father passed away on September 1, 2008. As a young child, his right leg was crushed by a pickup truck, which resulted in that leg being aboout four inches short. He had to wear a shoe with a raised sole to walk, and he always had a limping gait.
Even with this minor handicap, he played professional baseball, raced stock cars, and competed in track and field at the varsity level in school.
He was fast.
As an adult, he chose to dedicate his career to the next generation, first as a chemistry and physics teacher, then as a school administrator.