Only together and with love it works! Interreligious relay Frankfurt Marathon 2025

Only together and with love it works! In the Interfaith Relay at the Frankfurt Marathon 2025, unity in diversity became visible. Participants, including Sikhs, shared that running as a group made them faster and feel lighter. The marathon became an inspiration to bring words like oneness, understanding, inclusion, and devotion to life in everyday practice. Credits: SikhiCouncil

Together – Not just side by side

When on Sunday morning, October 26, 2025, the starting signal was given at Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage in Frankfurt for around 17,000 runners, more than a sporting event began. Despite cool temperatures and gusty winds, the interreligious relay teams also set off on their 42.195-kilometer journey through the Main metropolis – a journey that once again showed what becomes possible when people move forward together.

At the marathon, people did not just run side by side – they experienced true connection and joy. This spirit was particularly tangible in the Interreligious Relay. In its atmosphere, in the glances and gestures, in the openness and warmth between runners – among them Christians and Sikhs – unity in diversity revealed itself. They participated at the initiative of the Working Group on Church, Religion, and Sports of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN) – now for the 15th time. In 2010, the world-renowned marathon runner Fauja Singh also took part. During the ecumenical service on the eve of the Frankfurt Marathon, his life was remembered. The Sikh passed away this year at a very advanced age.

The Sikh Fauja Singh was regarded during his lifetime as the world’s oldest marathon runner. He attributed his longevity and vitality to a healthy and humble way of life that included regular walks and a balanced diet. In July 2025, Fauja Singh passed away at the presumed age of 114 after being struck by a car in his birth village, Bias Pind, in Panjab. Fauja Singh became famous for beginning to run at the age of 89 and completing his first marathon in Toronto at the age of 100, which made him an international icon. Nevertheless, he was never officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records because he lacked a birth certificate to prove his assumed birth year of 1911. At that time, Panjab was under British colonial rule, and it was uncommon in rural Panjab to issue birth certificates. Credits: SikhiCouncil

The power of running together

Participants described a special experience: running in a group made them faster and feel lighter than they would have been alone. This is the flow, the power that emerges when people set out together with a common purpose – breathing together, carried by the enthusiasm and energy of those around them.

Sparkling children’s eyes and creative motivation

Especially touching was the excitement of children along the route. With shining eyes and genuine joy, they looked at the runners as if they were stars. Their gaze revealed something precious: they see every human simply as a human being. High-fiving them along the way warmed hearts and gave new energy. Numerous creative signs added motivation: “At least you’re not at work,” “You’re all amazing,” and “You paid for this – smile!” Music, especially drumming, gave new strength again and again – a pulse of shared energy.

Care and sustainability

Along the route, clothing items were available for runners to use and later leave behind. Everything was collected afterward for clothing drives – a sign of mutual care and sustainability that perfectly complemented the spirit of the day.

The motto: Only together it works

Under the motto “Inclusion – Only Together It Works,” five interreligious relay teams completed the course. Each team consisted of four people who together covered the marathon distance – a metaphor for life itself: different stages, different challenges, but carried together.

This communal motto, honoring the power of togetherness and unity in plurality, was once again brought to life. The timeless wisdom preserved in the writings of Sikhi (Gurbani) reminds us of this: Ik Oankar – the opening phrase of the Divine scriptures – symbolizes that all of life forms an infinite oneness and interconnection. When we uplift one another, we uplift the whole. When we harm one another, we harm the whole. The marathon made this visible: we all share one origin and are children of one creation.

Inspiration for everyday life

The experience of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon offered powerful inspiration to bring words like understanding, inclusion, and devotion to life. They can be lived and experienced – in sports, in community, in daily life. May we continue to carry this spirit with love – beyond the marathon. Only together and with love it works!

ਸਾਚੁ ਕਹੋਂ ਸੁਨ ਲੇਹੁ ਸਭੈ ਜਿਨ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਕੀਓ ਤਿਨ ਹੀ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਪਾਇਓ ॥੯॥੨੯॥ DG, 23
Hear all, what Truth declares: those who love – they alone realize the Divine.