Marathon weekend in New York City is always a celebrated tradition. On Nov. 2, thousands of runners will test their endurance and sheer willpower in the 54th running of the TCS N.Y.C. Marathon.

Though Father James Rodriguez, pastor of St. Rose of Lima, Rockaway Beach, will not be among this year’s participants, he’s no stranger to running marathons.

With 18 under his belt, Father Rodriguez has run nearly 500 miles in these races — not to mention the miles upon miles of training. Running 18 marathons is equivalent to running from Rockaway Beach to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

RELATED: New York City Marathon a Thrill for CYO Track Coaches

Born in Jackson Heights, Rodriguez attended the parish and school at Blessed Sacrament. He enjoyed playing basketball and became a huge fan of the mid-1990s New York Knicks teams.

He considered attending Cathedral Prep and Seminary in Elmhurst for high school, but at the time, he said he did not want to be a priest. Instead, he attended Holy Cross H.S. in Flushing but did not try out for the basketball team. Holy Cross was where Father Rodriguez began discerning his vocation. While attending New York University, he lived at the seminary in Douglaston and eventually continued his studies at the major seminary in Huntington, L.I. He was ordained a priest on June 7, 2008.

His first assignment was at Most Precious Blood, Long Island City. He then served as diocesan vocations director while teaching at Cathedral Prep. After working with Catholic Charities for a few years and a brief stint at St. Teresa, Woodside, he was named pastor at St. Rose while also serving as administrator of St. Camillus-St. Virgilius, Rockaway Park.

As for his running journey, it all began for Father Rodriguez while he was a young priest. One of his sisters, Elizabeth Rodriguez, took up running, so he joined in — wanting to be active while also supporting her newfound activity. Elizabeth’s husband, Murray Abeles, has an athletic background, so he helped motivate the group to keep coming back.

Father Rodriguez and Abeles — who, with Elizabeth, are parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Astoria — became close running buddies. Murray suggested they train for a marathon, but at first, the priest was filled with fear.

“One of the reasons I didn’t even try out for basketball in high school was fear,” Father Rodriguez said. “I always remember that feeling of being too scared to try out and hating that feeling. I was scared to go to the seminary, and I was scared to become a priest, but each of those steps helped me face the fear.

“When Murray suggested we run the marathon, the initial fear started coming up, but instead of saying no, I said yes.”

Father Rodriguez ran his first N.Y.C. Marathon in 2011. His time of 4:51 remains his best out of all 18 marathons.

More than half of these have been the N.Y.C. Marathon, with others including the Chicago, Philadelphia, Berlin, and Marine Corps races in Washington, D.C.

Running 26.2 miles straight is an extreme challenge. As a man of faith, Father Rodriguez has used his marathon running to become closer to God.

“It definitely reminds you that there’s a God,” he said. “It’s all about uniting your sufferings to Christ. Him carrying the cross, the marathon is nothing compared to that. A marathon is a walk in the park compared to what he suffered.”

RELATED: St. Edmund Prep Holds ‘Dig Pink’ For Breast Cancer Research in Brooklyn

During his long runs, Father Rodriguez would dedicate several miles to various causes, such as prayer intentions for young men in the seminary and those discerning their own vocations.

He also found himself deep in prayer while running — both for God to give him the strength to soldier on and to show his gratitude for being able to soak in the sights of the greatest city in the world.

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” which applies to anything long term. The Catholic faith can be considered a marathon, not a sprint, since there’s no instant gratification when it comes to entering the kingdom of Heaven.

“In the spiritual life, we’re inspired by great saints and want to be like them, but we can be frustrated when we fail,” Father Rodriguez said. “We forget that they failed at times, too.”

“We have to remember that every saint was a sinner and every sinner can be a saint. It teaches us patience and trusting in God, who is the ultimate coach.”

Given his busy responsibilities at the multiple parishes, Father Rodriguez does not have any upcoming marathons on his radar. However, this form of physical and spiritual exercise is there for him if and when he’s ready to return to the course.