2 Men Run Memorial Marathon Carrying 25-Pound Cross

Many runners in the 2024 Memorial Marathon ran for much more than personal bests and medals at the finish line.

But one pair of men ran for a mission bigger than themselves.

"I'm a strength guy, I like working with the barbell, don't really like cardio and especially not long-distance running," Colton Cowley, Christ Fit Gym's assistant manager, said.

He never thought he'd run a marathon would run a marathon. But alongside Christ Fit's director Stephen Davenport, that's exactly what he did.

Neither of them had run more than 13 miles before race day. "It was definitely a challenge," Davenport said. "Especially to add some extra weight to it, it was incredibly tough."

The extra weight was a 25-pound wooden cross. "This isn't something for our glory," Cowley said.

"There's been thousands of people to see the cross...so if it changes even one person’s life then it's all worth it," Davenport said.

They ran all 26.2 miles, switching the cross between them each mile. "It was an incredible honor," Davenport said.

"The amount of times we went by and people would just say whoa wow," Cowley said.

They ran to remember while carrying their own personal calling for all to see. "To be able to go out and support those families that lost children husbands wives,” Cowley said. "That's why we carried the cross, to point people to the source. The comforter, the helper, the friend who can get us through those times." 

Davenport and Cowley say due to the overwhelming response, they'll be back to run the cross at next year’s Memorial Marathon.