24 Motivational Quotes for Runners

By Mirel Ketchiff
We rounded up the best inspirational running quotes to help get you moving and keep you fueled through your next long run. Lace up your shoes, and read on.
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1 of 24

Train Insane

"Don't dream of winning, train for it!" — Mo Farah, Olympic long-distance runner

Related: How to Rekindle Your Running Motivation

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2 of 24

The Cheapest Form of Therapy

"Running is alone time that lets my brain unspool the tangles that build up over days...I run, pound it out on the pavement, channel that energy into my legs, and when I'm done with my run, I'm done with it." — Rob Haneisen, runner

3 of 24

Do It for Those Who Can't

"I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can't run, what they would give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them. I know they would do the same for me." — Unknown

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4 of 24

Impossible Is Nothing

"Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable." — Kara Goucher, Olympic long-distance runner

Related: Tips to Build Mental Strength from Kara Goucher

5 of 24

That Post-Run High

"I think I get addicted to the feelings associated with the end of a long run. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out, and sweat-purged. I love that good ache of the muscles that have done me proud." —Kristin Armstrong, author of Mile Markers

Related: 12 Benefits of Running That Make You Healthier and Happier

6 of 24

Live, Laugh, Run a Lot

"A good laugh and a long run are the two best cures for anything." —Unknown

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7 of 24

The Real Enemy

"It's very hard at 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." —George Sheehan, M.D., author of Going the Distance

8 of 24

Don't Overthink It

"Act like a horse. Be dumb. Just run." — Jumbo Elliot, former Villanova University track and field coach

9 of 24

Look for the Light

"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." —Kim Cowart, runner and journalist

Related: I Stopped Chasing PRs and Started Loving Running Again

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10 of 24

Back to the Beginning

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." — Steve Prefontaine, international track star

11 of 24

Run for Fun

"Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running." —Julie Isphording, former Olympic runner

12 of 24

All About the Big Picture

"That's the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is." - Kara Goucher, Olympic long-distance runner

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13 of 24

Mountains to Molehills

"What seems hard now will one day be your warm-up." —Unknown

Related: Try Fartlek Running to Get Even Faster

14 of 24

Running *Is* the Answer

"On your good days, run hard. On your bad days, run as long as you need." —Unknown

15 of 24

Just Keep Going

"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up." —Dean Karnazes, ultramarathon runner and author of Ultramarathon Man

Related: An Open Letter to Runners Who Think They Can't Run Long Distances

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16 of 24

It's Not the Years in Your Life

"The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life." —George Sheehan, M.D., author of Going the Distance

17 of 24

Embrace the Identity

"If you want to change your body, exercise. If you want to change your life, become a runner." —Unknown

18 of 24

No Mud, No Lotus

"There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner." — Dean Karnazes, ultramarathon runner and author of Ultramarathon Man

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19 of 24

Run In the Present, for Your future

"There will come a day when I can no longer run. Today is not that day." —Unknown

20 of 24

Don't Look Back

"It's just as important to remember that each footstike carries you forward, not backward. And every time you put on your running shoes you are different in come way than you were the day before. This is all good news." — John Bingham in Runner's World 

21 of 24

No Shortcuts

"What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared, to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes. The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials. How could they be expected to understand that?" — John L. Parker, Jr., author of Once a Runner

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22 of 24

Heart-strong, Not Headstrong

"The real purpose of running isn't to win a race. It's to test the limits of the human heart." —Bill Bowerman, track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc.

23 of 24

It's All a Magic Trick

"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." —Mina Samuels, author of Run Like a Girl

Related: Books By Badass Women to Inspire Your Next Adventure

24 of 24

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

"I don't stop when I'm tired, I stop when I'm done." — Unknown

 

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