The beat of Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” fuels 6-year-old Eli Jack Harrison on runs.
When his legs get tired and the track feels long, his playlist and a memorized Bible verse keep him going: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Eli Jack ran the Fort Worth Cowtown 5K on Saturday alongside his father, David Harrison, 42, and grandfather, Josh Harrison, 74. Eli Jack placed 14 out of 202 runners in the 6-and-under category.
With a finishing time of 38:17, the race brought together three generations of the Fort Worth family and bound them together by something as simple — and hard — as putting one foot in front of the other.
The race was more than a community event for the Harrisons. Kylette Harrison, Eli Jack’s mom, said it’s proof that her family shows up for one another.
“I just want to show my kids that we can do hard things,” she said. “Doing this with them as a family, it’s everything.”
Eli Jack, who attends Covenant Classical School, initially signed up for the race with peers. But David immediately joined as well when an email about the marathon hit the family’s inbox.
“I hope he gets a memory that he’ll actually take with him,” David said. “He’s at the age where he’s going to have memories that he can carry on more long term.”
David then called his dad, Josh, a longtime runner who jogs 7 miles a week. The invite to join required no convincing.
“All they had to do was ask,” the grandfather said.
To prepare, David took Eli Jack on weekly runs around the track at Lily B. Clayton Elementary. The boy ran lap after lap as David played music from his phone to keep the pace up. He ran 18 laps in an afternoon to equal a 5K.
“He doesn’t stop,” Kylette said. “The fact that he’s doing it at all, this running adventure has been amazing to witness.”
After his first few workouts, David bought Eli Jack his first pair of running shoes. Kylette will never forget her son’s excitement from that errand.
Leading up the race, Eli Jack averaged a 12.5-minute mile pace.
Eli Jack admitted he was nervous before the race — mainly about losing. But his dad gently reminded him that finishing is winning.
Because Josh lives just north of Houston, the three Harrisons ran together for the first time on Saturday, making the moment all the more significant.
“Maybe three generations doesn’t sound like that big of a deal on the surface,” David said. “The most impressive part is not me. It’s my 6 year old and my 74-year-old dad.”
Ahead of the race, Eli Jack was asked what he thought it would feel like to cross the finish line. He paused, then smiled.
“Lots of cheering.”
Nicole Williams Quezada is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.williams@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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