Run to Glory

Book excerpt: An Olympic run wasn’t his most important race. Eric Liddell was born to run. From childhood, his physical abilities brought honor and fame—culminating in a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. But it was another run that really mattered: the race of life mentioned in Hebrews 12 (“. . .and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. . . .”). Eric Liddell’s commitment to God was so strong that he once skipped an Olympic qualifier because it was held on Sunday. His scrupulous faith was chronicled decades later in the movie Chariots of Fire. At the height of his fame, Eric traded track shoes for hiking boots, taking the gospel message to the vast land of China. His life there was cut short, but the shadow he cast was long—with millions still finding challenge from his faithful example.