There are tons of races — BIG races — coming up. Chicago, MCM, and NYCM are all coming up within weeks of each other. It’s an exciting time in the running world, that’s for sure! If you need a mantra or two to get you through a tough race, check out these 16 Mantras to Dig Deep. But if you don’t need a mantra and you just need a little nudge or some reassurance, check out these quotes from some of the running greats. Plenty of words of wisdom from those that have been there and done that!
25 Quotes for Racing and Running Motivation
“Big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread, are where great deeds can be accomplished.” –Jack Lovelock
“I’m always nervous. If I wasn’t nervous, it would be weird. I get the same feeling at all the big races. It’s part of the routine, and I accept it. It means I’m there and I’m ready.”
–Allyson Felix
“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” –Marilyn vos Savant
“Run hard when it’s hard to run.” –Pavvo
“One skill that separates good from almost-good runners is an ability to concentrate for an entire race, whether it is a mile or a marathon.”
–Kara Goucher
“To be great, one does not have to be mad, but definitely it helps.” –Percy Cerutty
“If you want to run, then run a mile. If you want to experience another life, run a marathon.”
–Emil Zatopek
“My times become slower and slower, but the experience of the race is unchanged: each race a drama, each race a challenge, each race stretching me in one way or another, and each race telling me more about myself and others.”
–George Sheehan
25 Quotes for Racing and Running Motivation
“One day I won’t be able to do this, today is not that day.” –Unknown
“It’s amazing how the same pace in practice can feel so much harder than on race day. Stay confident. Trust the process.” –Sara Hall
“‘No pain, no gain’ does not mean that pain systematically equals gain. It’s easy to go hard. It’s hard to go smart.” –Erwan Le Corre
“My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: ‘Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you’ll win… channel your energy. Focus.'” –Carl Lewis
“Good things come slow, especially in distance running.” –Bill Dellinger
“Always enjoy yourself. Don’t be upset if you don’t win, you’ve won by simply not giving up.”
–Unknown
“You don’t run against a bloody stopwatch, do you hear? A runner runs against himself, against the best that’s in him… Against all the rottenness in the world. Against God, if you’re good enough.” –Bill Persons
Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up. –Amby Burfoot
“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.” –Fred Lebow
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
–John Bingham
“I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.” –Meb Keflezighi
25 Quotes for Racing and Running Motivation
“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.”
–Desiree Linden
“The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart.”
–Bill Bowerman
“You didn’t beat me. You merely finished in front of me.” –Hal Higdon
“The beauty of running is its simplicity; the beauty of runners is that we all have a similar drive to improve. We are either trying to run a personal best, or toeing the line for the first time, which will snowball into a future of trying to run personal bests. We road racers are a tight community of mileage-happy, limit-pushing athletes.” –Deena Kastor
“No marathon gets easier later. The half way point only marks the end of the beginning.” –Joe Henderson
“We all have dreams, in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
–Jesse Owens
I use lots of these quotes in my own training for running motivation. A few of them I stash for race day for when things get tough and I have to dig deep. Hopefully you found something that speaks to you, too.
xo
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Do you use mantras or quotes to motivate you?
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