Top Track Stars

TOP TRACK STARS set goals to break records. In 1999, Moroccan citizens nicknamed Hicham El Guerrouj “the Prince of the Desert” after he moved another step closer to achieving his ultimate ambition.

The 24-year-old distance runner competed in the mile at Rome’s Golden Gala meet. On the same track a year earlier, El Guerrouj had set a world record in the 1,500 meters (3:26.00).

With warm weather conditions helping bring in fast times, the North African kept pace with the early leaders. At the bell lap, El Guerrouj raced to the front of the pack, but Kenya’s Noah Ngeny stayed close. Pushed to his limits, the 1,500-meter world-record holder crossed the finish line two strides ahead of Ngeny in a time of 3:43.13—beating the old world record for the mile by 1.26 seconds.

El Guerrouj might have clocked a 3:42 or 3:41, but 300 meters from the end, he glanced at the large screen and caught a glimpse of Ngeny. The sight momentarily distracted the runner, adding at least a second to his time.

With two world records, El Guerrouj achieved another rung on his personal success ladder. The Moroccan hoped to eventually obtain world bests in every distance race between 1,500 and 5,000 meters, including the 2,000 meters, the 3,000 meters, and the steeple. Later in September he added the 2,000 meters to his resume.

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POINT Hicham El Guerrouj set high goals for himself. Achieving those goals and getting the most out of his talent required training hard and striving to win.

The apostle Paul knew a lot about goal setting. And he said we should have just one aim in life: pleasing God.

What are some things you’d like to accomplish for Christ? Do you want to lead somebody into a personal relationship with him? go on a mission trip? become a missionary in a foreign land? As Christians we too should set high goals. As great as your goals may be for God, he calls you to do one thing: Please him always. That’s a tough goal.

GOAL! Write down some of your goals.