Top 35 Motivational Quotes for Running (And Why They Work)

Some people love running with passion and they go into every run with excitement and determination. Then there are those who need to muster every ounce of motivation they have to get out for a run. Whether you’re someone who loves every step of every mile, someone who curses the running gods until you cross the finish line, or someone who falls through the cracks, there are running quotes for every situation.

And these kinds of quotes can motivate us for three main reasons: we love to be coached, we’re drawn to well-written words, and it’s embedded in our basic biology. But more important than why they work is what they do. So whatever race you’re ready to tackle, let these running quotes be your inspiration.

1. “When we run, we become.” –Ambi Burfoot

2. “What seems hard now will one day warm you up.” – unknown

3. “I breathe in strength and exhale weakness.” –Amy Hastings CragQuoted his mantra during the marathon.

4. “Every run is a work of art, every day a drawing on the canvas. Some runs are shouts and some runs are whispers. Some praise runs and others celebrate.” – Dagny Scott Barrios

5. “Pain is inevitable. Pain is optional.” – Haruki Murakami

6. “There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a little further, it transcends the mind. A little further, and what lies before you, is the soul.” — Christine Armstrong

7. “There will come a day when I can’t run anymore. Today is not that day.” -Unknown

8. “There’s magic in our running shoes. The power to turn a bad day into a good day; Disappointment at speed; Doubt in confidence; Chocolate cake in muscle.” -Mina Samuels

9. “Anyone busier than you is running now.” -Nike

10. “Running is the alone time that allows my brain to untangle the tangles that build up from day to day. I run, cover the pavement, put that energy into my legs, and when I’m done running, I’m done.” –Rob Hansen

11. “A short run is better than no run.” – unknown

12. “The more I run, the more I love my body. Not because it’s perfect, far from it, but because with every mile it’s proving to me that I’m capable of more than I ever thought possible.” -Unknown

13. “I don’t feel like running today. That’s exactly why I went.” -Unknown

14. “We run to undo the damage we have done to body and soul. We rush to find parts of ourselves that are still undiscovered.” – John Bingham

15. “Never limit where running can take you. I mean that geographically, spiritually and of course, physically.” -Burt Yasso

16. “Run. Because the zombies will eat the untrained first!” —Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide

17. “The trouble with jogging is that by the time you realize you’re not fit for it, it’s too far to walk back.” – Franklin P. Jones

18. “The miracle isn’t that I’m done. The miracle is that I had the courage to begin.” – John Bingham

19. “I run because it always gets me where I want to go.” -Dean Karnages

20. “Long-distance running has many challenges, but the biggest question is where to put the house keys.” – Gabriel Zevin

21. “Run often. Run long. But never outrun the joy of running.” – Julie Isfording

22. “If you feel bad at 10 miles, you’re in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you’re normal. If you don’t feel bad at mile 26, you’re abnormal.” -Rob DiCasella

23. “Anyone can beat me, but they have to bleed to do it.” —Steve Prefontaine

24. “A 12-minute mile equals a 6-minute mile.” – unknown

25. “Run when you can, walk when you must, crawl when you must; Just don’t give up.” –Dean Carnages

26. “Go as far as you can, and then take another step.” – unknown

27. “I often hear people say that I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some run faster than others. I’ve never met a fake runner.” -Burt Yasso

28. “Go… walk if you must, but finish the damn race.” -Ron Hill

29. “A year from now you will wish you had started today.” -Karen Lamb

30. “When your legs get tired, run with your heart.” – unknown

31. “The voice in your head that says you can’t do it is a liar.” – unknown

32. “Whether it’s a mile or a marathon, you get there the same way. . . One step at a time. That’s life.” -Baylor Barbee

33. “A runner is real when he takes his first step.” — Clarissa Pinkola Estes

34. “No matter how slow you go you’re still lapsing everyone on the couch.” – unknown

35. “Shut up. We got it.” – unknown