Looking for Motivation
I follow a lot of runners on social media, and I read a lot of posts online. It seems that a lot of people nowadays are looking for motivation to run. As a result, I thought I would share my favorite inspirational running quotes with you.
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
Although now retired from writing, John is a marathon runner who wrote columns for Runners World and published many books over the years. He is a staunch proponent of running slow and enjoying it, and it’s no wonder I love this quote! Having the courage to start is sometimes the most challenging part of running. Well said, John.
“Don’t dream of winning, train for it!”
“Sir” Mo Farah is a multiple Olympic, World, and European Champion athlete. He is Britain’s greatest athlete of all time, a g.o.a.t. if you will, having accumulated ten global titles, including two gold medals in 5K and 10K distances at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. I love this quote because it speaks to the hard work and dedication runners put into their sport and imbues a spirit of “if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
Even if you’re a beginner, you’ve probably heard the name Steve Prefontaine. Somehow, this fella became one of the greatest US runners of all time, despite having lived only 24 years. He was born in Coos Bay, Oregon, in 1951, and discovered his gift for running fast and far as a student in high school. It’s hard to believe he started so late and got so good so quickly! Steve hungered to be the best in the field and to do it with style—to create beauty when he ran and to show people something they had never seen before. He treasured the gift he had been given, and we can all be inspired to give our best as Steve would have wanted.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few more of my favorite inspirational running quotes that are also worth a mention:
“What seems hard now will one day be your warm-up.” –unknown
“Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running. –Julie Isphording
“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy… I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” –Art Williams
Wear Your Motivation While You Run
I find these quotes so inspirational I’ve designed t-shirts with them, so that when I’m out and about or running in a race, others can read them and be inspired too! You can view all of the designs here.
If you’ve purchased one of my shirts or have an inspirational running quote you’d like to share, please let me know in the Comments below.
Keep running to the beat!
Jeanette
