 
Church offers divine event for
runners
By Bernice Torregrossa
Contributor
Published January 11,
2007
For the runners in Sunday’s Chevron Houston
Marathon, the months of training are over. “The hay is in the barn,” one
running buddy likes to say. Now it’s time for them to rest, relax and
mentally prepare for the race.
Clear Lake Presbyterian Church offers a unique pre-race event Friday
evening. Its Blessing of the Feet pasta dinner feeds the bodies and
souls of more than 100 local mara-thoners.
Mark Cristensen, a member of the congregation, has been involved since
its inception in 2002.
“That was the first year for the dinner, and also my first marathon,” he
recalled. “We do it as an outreach for the whole community, so about 80
percent of the runners aren’t affiliated with the church. We welcome
everybody.”
Cristensen estimates that a third or more of the participants are
first-time marathoners, and the dinner serves to calm their pre-race
jitters.
“It’s not literally a blessing of the feet, but our pastor, Tim Galligan,
will open and close with a prayer for our health and safety.”
The evening also features a talk by runner and motivational speaker
Robert Key.
“In my talk, ‘The Greatness In You,’ I take them through some of the
things they’ll encounter, and remind them of some of the tips for
success,” Key said.
“Some of them question whether they’re ready, but I remind them that
they’ve covered at least 30 times the marathon distance in the course of
their training.”
Key, a 3:19 marathoner who has logged more than 25,000 miles and
completed more than 100 races, including the Boston Marathon. He has
been such a popular speaker at the pasta dinner that he is making his
sixth appearance.
While several local running clubs have made the Blessing of the Feet a
pre-marathon tradition, Cristensen extends a special welcome to
individuals.
“We encourage people who are running on their own or training on their
own to come. It’s great camaraderie for runners and their families. Last
year, a woman came whose sister was running a different marathon
somewhere else. She just wanted to be around runners, because it made
her feel closer to her sister.”
Reservations for the Blessing of the Feet pasta dinner must be made by
calling Clear Lake Presbyterian Church, 281-488-6731.
Bernice Torregrossa is a correspondent for The Daily News.
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