Stanza 7: Basic Meaning

Last updated at August 12, 2026 by

Stanza 7
Then all the nine runners joined hands and continued
The hundred-yard dash now reduced to a walk
And a banner above that said (Special Olympics)
Could not have been more on the mark.
Line by Line

Lines 1-2: “Then all the nine runners joined hands and continued / The hundred-yard dash now reduced to a walk”

Important words

joined hands → held each other's hands together
continued → kept going; carried on
reduced to a walk → slowed down from a race to a slow walk

Meaning: All nine runners held hands and walked together toward the finish. The race had turned from a fast sprint into a slow, shared walk.

Lines 3-4: “And a banner above that said (Special Olympics) / Could not have been more on the mark.”

Important words

Special Olympics → games for athletes with intellectual disabilities
on the mark → exactly right; perfectly fitting

Meaning: The banner above saying “Special Olympics” could not have been more perfectly fitting for what just happened.

Summary of Stanza 7

All nine runners held hands and walked together to the finish line. The 100-yard race became a slow walk. The banner saying 'Special Olympics' above them was perfectly right - this is exactly the spirit of the Special Olympics.

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