Coweta Man Wins 100K Race After Battling Drug Addiction

A Coweta man just won his first 100k race after turning his life around and getting free of drug addiction.

He credits his faith for getting him across the finish line and wants to inspire others to improve their lives.

Josh Burgett said the furthest he ever ran before was about 30 miles. He wasn't worried, though, because he said he wasn't running alone. He was running with God.

Crossing the finish line in first place was a moment Josh Burgett said he almost gave up on just a few hours into the 100K race which is the equivalent of about 62 miles.

“I’m defeated. At mile 25, I’m thinking I’m going to quit. I’m just going to get. I’ll get to the halfway point, I’ll see my wife, and I’ll quit. 50k is good enough,” Josh said.

In March, Josh weighed 281 pounds. He worked hard to lose more than 100 pounds, and the thought of quitting was overtaken by something more powerful than his pain and exhaustion. Josh turned to his faith.

“I turned my music off, and I’m just sitting there. I’m talking to the Lord,” Josh said.

Josh said he turned his life over to God in 2007. He was addicted to drugs and found himself inside a jail cell.

“I was drugged out and I hit a mailbox and I hit a car. I woke up two days later in Wagoner County, and I was looking at jail time,” Josh said.

He wanted to give up on life but turned to God in prayer.

“I prayed, ‘Lord, give me one more chance. If you give me one more chance, I’m going to live for you my whole life,’” Josh said.

Today, Josh continues to pray, which helps him through the good days and the days he feels like giving up.

“I had never ran that far before, but I just wanted to try something that sounded impossible because lately, I’ve just been. I just want to try it. See what happens,” Josh said. “I get to the finish line, and I finished, man. I won. I can't believe it.”

Josh is signed up for the Route 66 Marathon next month.