Contributor: The Nerd
Noah Lambrecht of McCool Junction wasn't the kind of athlete you'd read about in the newspaper. He wasn't fast. He never medaled. In fact, he finished last in nearly every cross country race he ever ran.
In September 2018, I was standing at the finish line of the UNK XC Invite waiting for the first Class C runners to finish. Less than 5 minutes before the Class C winner arrived, I watched Noah finish the Class D race in 42:23. I was holding a camera but I'm pretty sure I didn't take a picture of him. It was an entirely forgettable moment during a long season... until I heard someone say this from the end of the finish chute: "That's my son. He's had four open-heart surgeries and he's got a pacemaker."
Over the next two weeks, I devoted nearly all of my free time to putting Noah's story into words. I've been around the running scene for over 40 years, and Noah represents the most remarkable running journey I've ever encountered.
Read the article here and then ask yourself:
The next time you run, will you have as much heart as Noah?