Nun runs a treadmill marathon, raises money for the Chicago poor

When the Chicago Marathon was canceled due to the coronavirus, sister Stephanie Baliga decided to put on her trainers and run the standard 42,2 miles in the basement of her convent.

It started as a promise. Baliga had told his running team that in the event of cancellation, he would run a treadmill marathon to raise money for the food pantry of the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in Chicago. She planned to do it herself, starting at 4 am, with music from a stereo.

"But then my friend convinced me that this is some kind of crazy thing that most people don't do," he said. "That most people don't run marathons on the treadmill in the basement and that I should let other people know."

And so his August 23 run was live streamed on Zoom and posted on YouTube. That day, the 32-year-old nun wore an American flag bandana and ran alongside the statues of St. Francis Assisi and the Virgin Mary.

The noisy Chicago marathon crowd, which has been running for the past nine years, was gone. But she still has the smiles of high school and college friends, clergy and family members who popped up on a screen and cheered her on.

“It seems to have allowed people to have some encouragement, happiness and joy during this time of extreme difficulty for many people,” Baliga said. "I am truly moved by the extraordinary support that so many people have shown me along this journey."

As he ran, he prayed the rosary, prayed for his supporters, and most importantly, he prayed for people who contracted the virus and for those isolated during the COVID-19 crisis.

"This is nothing compared to what so many people have been through during this pandemic," he said.

The last 30 minutes, however, have been exhausting.

“I was praying that I could make it and not fall and survive,” he said.

The final push came from a surprise on-screen appearance of Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist. “She's like my childhood heroine, so that was amazing,” Baliga said. "This distracted me from the pain."

Baliga also submitted his 3-hour, 33-minute time to Guinness World Records for the timed treadmill marathon.

“The only reason I was able to do it was because no one had ever done it before,” she said with a smile.

More importantly, his treadmill marathon so far has raised more than $ 130.000 for community involvement in his mission.

Baliga, who started running at age 9, previously competed in Division I cross-country and track teams at the University of Illinois, where he studied economics and geography. She said her life changed after a powerful prayer experience and she felt the call to become a nun.

But Baliga kept running. After joining the Franciscan order of the Eucharist in Chicago, she launched the running team of Our Lady of the Angels to raise money for the poor.

“We all play this very important role. All our actions are linked, ”he said. "It is so important, especially at this time, when many people feel isolated and distant, that people continue to sacrifice themselves for each other and to be kind