As thousands prepare to hit the streets for Sunday’s Manitoba Marathon, one Winnipeg athlete says he’s running for more than a finish time.
After finding faith in Jesus a few years ago, Lester Hernandez, a father of three and fitness coach, is using his marathon journey and growing online presence to encourage himself and others physically, mentally and spiritually.
Scripture shaping the stride
As he trains for the event, he is reminded of Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples of all nations,” and sees parallels between running, caring for the body God has given him, and stepping into uncomfortable situations in faith.
“I was like, I need to go do the thing,” said Hernandez. “Obviously, we spread the word with each other through relationships and all that, but the idea of stewarding our bodies, stewarding the gifts that we have and then in Romans 12:22, where we transform through the renewing of our mind, I’m like, I can do these things with the running, and it’s going to get uncomfortable.”
Running with community in mind
He says participating in the relay is also another way to connect with his friends.
“In Genesis, it’s, you know, it’s not good for man to be alone,” said Hernandeaz. “I was like, oh, I’m doing this with my friends now, that was like the best part. And so, yeah, it all just, once again, it just kind of made sense. This is uncomfortable, and I should probably do it.”
Hernandez hasn’t run in about six years and says getting back into it has been challenging, but doing it alongside friends has made it welcoming.
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Faith through the hard miles
“I wasn’t just doing this big long run by myself,” said Hernandez. “And when I would train for it, running on a treadmill in my house, it was calling upon the Holy Spirit, being, ‘Holy Spirit, be with me during this run, during this workout.’ And that would get me through that. It would give me enough strength for that.”
Alongside training, Hernandez has also begun sharing Christian messages and fitness content online, saying he feels called to encourage others.
He says he does not focus on metrics or influence, but on people who may be encountering his message at the right time.
“I just feel commissioned to share it,” said Hernandez.
The first leg of the Manitoba Marathon will take Hernandez on an 8-kilometre journey from the start line at the University of Manitoba to the Dunkirk exit ramp.
The Manitoba Marathon will take place on Sunday, June 21, 2026.