Running. We know it’s good for us. We enjoy the time to ourselves. We even use the lessons learned through running to inspire us to push through other challenges in life. You don’t have to convince us that running is great!
But let’s be honest…sometimes it’s hard to either get going or keep going on our running journey.
Some days, you’re scraping the bottom of the energy barrel. Other days, the weather is very convincing to cancel your run.
Still other days, you just won’t be feeling your run and will be tempted to cut it short. I mean, something is better than nothing, right?!
That’s where inspirational running quotes come in! Whether you’re logging your first mile or your thousandth, the right inspirational running quotes can give you the push you need, at the exact moment you need it, to keep going.
So…bookmark this page! Because you’re about to encounter a huge collection of inspirational running quotes that you can keep coming back to for inspiration and motivation whenever you need it.
Let’s gooooo!
The Essence of Inspirational Running Quotes
Some people run to stay fit, others to clear their mind, and still others for different reasons. Whatever your reason for running, inspirational running quotes can help light a fire inside you.
They speak to your inner runner to push you forward. And when (not if!) you’re tired or want to quit, the right inspirational running quotes can lift you up.
Great running quotes often touch on:
- Overcoming challenges
- Finding inner strength
- Enjoying the journey
- Setting clear goals and reaching them
Finding the right quote to motivate you will depend on your personal journey, goals, and even struggles.
You’ll find that many quotes highlight the mental side of running. They remind you that your mind is just as important as your legs and that when you believe in yourself, you can do more than you ever thought possible.
You might focus on a different quote for each run or choose a quote as an ongoing theme as you train for and run a race. Use motivational running quotes until they stop motivating you…and then find more!
Legends and Their Timeless Words
Running greats have shared wisdom that can inspire you to lace up your shoes and hit the pavement. Their words offer motivation and insights to help you push through challenges.
Wisdom from Pioneers
Steve Prefontaine:
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Jesse Owens:
We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come true, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.
George Sheehan:
The more I run, the more I want to run, and the more I live a life conditioned and influenced and fashioned by my running.
Today’s Voices in Running
Kara Goucher:
Don’t try to rush progress. Remember – a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.
Deena Kastor:
In running, every step you make and every push forward changes you – it transforms you into a different person.
Allyson Felix:
I love running because it’s a challenge. If you run hard, there’s the pain – and you’ve got to work your way through the pain.
Inspirational Running Quotes About Overcoming Challenges and Celebrations
Running isn’t always easy. You’ll face tough days and moments of triumph.
Embracing both the struggles and victories is key to your growth as a runner.
On Embracing the Bad Days
Mark Remy:
If you’ve never had a bad day running, you’re probably doing something wrong. If you’ve never had a good day running, you’re definitely doing something wrong.
Dean Karnazes:
There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner.
Benjamin Franklin:
Things that hurt, instruct.
Davina McCall:
Coming back to running after a few weeks off is really tough. It’s humbling. Nothing wrong with a large dose of humility.
Kim Cowart:
Nothing, not even pain, lasts forever. If I can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will eventually get to the end.
Amy Hastings:
Running is kind of like coffee. The first time you drink it you might not like it. It’s bitter and leaves a bad taste in your mouth but you kind of like the way it makes you feel. However, after a few times, it starts to taste better and then all of a sudden you’re hooked and it’s the new best part of waking up.
Michael Jordan:
I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Frank Shorter:
Be willing to move forward and find out what happens next.
Bill Rodgers:
I often lose motivation, but it’s something I accept as normal.
Jillian Michaels:
Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!
Fred Lebow:
In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.
Steven Pressfield:
Resistance is greatest just before the finish line.
On hard days, try these tips:
- Set a small goal, like running for 10 minutes
- Change your route for fresh scenery
- Listen to upbeat music or a fun podcast
Celebrating Every Victory
Bill Dellinger:
Good things come slow – especially in distance running.
Amby Burfoot:
As we run, we become.
Greg Wells, Ph.D.:
If we had a drug that did what exercise did, it would be the biggest revolution ever and would be promoted all over the world. And all you have to do is go out for a run.
Maya Angelou:
All great achievements require time.
Christopher McDougall:
We’ve got a motto here – you’re tougher than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can.
Bart Yasso:
Running is the ultimate faith healer, restoring belief not only in oneself but life’s possibilities.
Pele:
Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and, most of all, love of what you are doing.
John Bingham:
The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.
Unknown:
Remember, you’re lapping everyone on the couch!
Here are some victories to consider celebrating:
- Finishing a run, no matter the distance
- Trying a new running route
- Joining a local running group
- Lacing up your shoes when you didn’t feel like it
- Shaving a few seconds off your usual time
Running Metaphors for Life
Running offers powerful parallels to life’s journey. The track becomes a mirror for personal growth and overcoming obstacles.
Journey from Start to Finish
Oprah Winfrey:
Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.
Steve Prefontaine:
Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.
Will Ferrell:
Running a marathon is not a question of whether it will be painful, but when it will be painful. It does help to have a sense of humor, but I’m also respectful of the race.
Mahatma Gandhi:
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Kristin Armstrong:
There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a bit further, it transcends the mind. A bit further yet, and what you have before you, laid bare, is the soul.
Dean Karnazes:
Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up.
John Bingham:
If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.
Aristotle:
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Bill Rodgers:
If you want to win a race you have to go a little berserk.
Christopher McDougall:
You don’t stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.
Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes:
No one can say: ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that. ‘ The human spirit is indomitable.
Bart Yasso:
Never limit where running can take you. I mean that geographically, spiritually, and of course, physically.
Mina Samuels:
Our running shoes have magic in them. The power to transform a bad day into a good day; frustration into speed; self-doubt into confidence; chocolate cake into muscle.
Apolo Ohno:
Winning does not always mean coming in first…real victory is in arriving at the finish line with no regrets because you know you’ve gone all out.
Life Lessons on the Track
Dave Bedford:
Running is a lot like life. Only ten percent of it is exciting. Ninety percent of it is slog and drudge.
Bill Rodgers:
The advice I have for beginners is the same philosophy that I have for runners of all levels of experience and ability – consistency, a sane approach, moderation and making your running an enjoyable, rather than dreaded, part of your life.
Haruki Murakami:
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you’re running and you think, ‘Man, this hurts, I can’t take it anymore. The ‘hurt’ part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself.
Noel Carroll:
Running is the classical road to self-consciousness, self-awareness, and self-reliance.
Clarence DeMar:
Run like hell and get the agony over with.
Jesse Owens:
The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.
Martin Luther King, Jr.:
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
George Sheehan:
It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.
John Bingham:
Focus on where you are instead of where you wish you were. The joy will follow.
David Goggins:
Because there is no finish line. There is always more to learn, and you will always have weaknesses to strengthen if you want to become as hard as woodpecker lips.
Hal Higdon:
Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough.
Inspirational Running Quotes About Mindset
Running can be more enjoyable and effective with the right approach.
Your mindset plays a big role in your running experience. Here are some motivational running quotes to help you get the most out of your runs.
Incorporating Joy in Every Run
Frank Shorter:
I want my time spent running to serve as a reward.
Jimmy Buffett:
Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see.
Kara Goucher:
Racing is the fun part; it’s the reward of all the hard work.
Ronald Rook:
I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days.
Kara Goucher:
Running has always been a relief and a sanctuary — something that makes me feel good, both physically and mentally. For me, it’s not so much about the health benefits. Those are great, but I believe that the best thing about running is the joy it brings to life.
John Trautmann:
Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine.
Theo Rossi:
Something happens to me when I run. People think it’s crazy when I say it. All of my ideas come in when I run. That is my time where it’s just me, where I get to create.
Julie Isphording:
Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running.
Haruki Murakami:
All I do is keep on running in my own cozy, homemade void, my own nostalgic silence. And this is a pretty wonderful thing. No matter what anybody else says.
George Sheehan:
The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.
Desiree Linden:
Be confident in the work you did to prepare for the race. Take a look back at your training logs to remind yourself that you’ve done everything possible to prepare. The race is the fun part where you get to see the hard work pay off. Enjoy it.
Hal Higdon:
Running with a partner or a group can make running more enjoyable. You can gain additional knowledge about the sport, but you also can occupy your mind and make the miles pass faster.
Jesse Owens:
Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.
Remember, friend: Your hard work and “indomitable” human spirit are strong enough to move you beyond the starting line, beyond a bad day, beyond tough runs and tough times and even your comfort zone. Logging consistent time with your running shoes will lead you into your greatest runs, drive you beyond your individual limits, and push you into your real purpose.
And when you reach the finish line (because you will), you can set new sights on your next goal. Because runners? They’re unstoppable.
Which inspirational running quotes were your favorites? Be sure to share in the comments!
Happy running!
P.S. Ready to become a runner but not quiiiite there yet? Download our FREE running schedule that starts you jogging just two minutes at a time! Get yours HERE.
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