In a small town, there lived two friends, John and Joseph. They both loved running. They always wanted to participate in a marathon. One day, they heard about a marathon that was going to take place in the neighboring town. They both decided to participate. John was a fast runner and had always been confident in his abilities. Joseph, on the other hand, was not fast but was determined to finish the race. The marathon started, and John sprinted ahead while Joseph took it slow and steady. As the race continued, John soon began to tire out, and his pace slowed down. Joseph, however, continued at a steady pace. When John saw Joseph still running, he started running faster to catch up, but he soon realized he had no energy left. Joseph eventually crossed the finish line first. John finished a few minutes later. John was disappointed that he lost the race, but he learned an important lesson. Slow and steady wins the race. He realized that sometimes it's better to pace yourself rather than sprint and burn out quickly.