52 Motivational Running Quotes to Keep You Inspired

Running Motivation to Keep You Training Hard

Let’s face it, everyone needs a little extra running motivation once in a while! We have compiled our favorite motivational running quotes for you below to keep you going.

For so many people, running is a key part of their lifestyle. Running serves to clear your mind, relieve stress, and boost self-esteem. It allows many to explore areas they never thought possible and connect with like-minded individuals. If you have been running long enough, you probably have experienced the runner’s high, in which you feel an almost indescribable sense of accomplishment and freedom. However, running can also lead to some pretty big lows. It’s human nature to put pressure on ourselves to be successful at what we do. No matter what your goals or purpose for running, you are working hard to achieve them. And, most likely, when you reach those goals, you will set even higher expectations for yourself. That’s why we have compiled this list of motivational running quotes to keep you inspired.

Be sure to share this article with friends or family that could also use a little extra running motivation!

Running Quotes to Keep You Motivated to Stay Active

Inspirational Running Quotes, Sunrise Running Company

"Only those who risk going to far, can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Elliot

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." - Juma Ikangaa

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

"If you don't have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain't getting them." - Christopher McDougall

"There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner." - Dean Karnazes

"Never underestimate the power that one good workout can have on your mind. Keeping the dream alive is half the battle." - Kara Goucher

"After all, if you run far enough, no one can catch you." - V.E. Schwab

"Running is real and relatively simple... But it ain't easy." - Mark Will-Weber

"It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys." - Emil Zatopek

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." - Oprah Winfrey

motivational running quotes, Sunrise Running Company

"The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other... But to be with each other." - Christopher McDougall

"The pain of running relieves the pain of living." - Jacqueline Simon Gunn

"Don't fear moving slowly forward... Fear standing still." - Kathleen Harris

"As every runner knows, running is more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are." - Joan Benoit Samuelson

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy... I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." - Art Williams

"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 twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." - John Bingham

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort." - Jesse Owens

"Ask yourself: Can I give more? The answer is usually: Yes!" - Paul Tergat

"I'll be happy if running and I grow old together." - Haruki Murakami

"If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you." - Fred DeVito

"I don't run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days." - Ronald Rook

"A one hour is 4% of your day. No excuses."

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham

"Don't dream of winning, train for it." - Mo Farah

running motivation quotes, Sunrise Running Company

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"'I breathe in strength and breathe out weakness,' is my mantra during marathons - it calms me down and helps me focus." - Amy Hastings

"But I also realize that winning doesn't always mean getting first; it means getting the best out of yourself." - Meb Keflezighi

"I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go." - Dean Karnazes

"If running is difficult, run more."

"If you want to find the real competition, just look in the mirror. After awhile you'll see your rivals scrambling for second place." - Criss Jami

"But I also realize that winning doesn't always mean getting first; it means getting the best out of yourself." - Meb Keflezighi

"Never underestimate the heart of a champion." - Doc Rivers

"Train the quit out of you."

"If running is difficult, run more."

"What I've learned from running is that the time to push hard is when you're hurting like crazy and you want to give up. Success is often just around the corner." - James Dyson

"Physical strength will get you to the start line. But mental strength will get you to the finish line."

"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." - Kristin Armstrong

"Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only resources is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic." - Tim Noakes

"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up." - Dean Karnazes

Need some extra running motivation?

Check out the Sunrise Running Company Virtual Running Club! Just $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year gets you to access to exclusive blog articles, shop discounts, and more! Learn More

"I hated every minute of training, but I said 'Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." - Muhammad Ali

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

"Most people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine

"Nothing can stop the main with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

"You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back." - Steve Prefontaine

"What is the source of my success? I think it's a combination of consistency and balance." - Mark Allen

"The nine inches right here; set it straight and you can beat anybody in the world." - Sebastian Coe

"Running is in my blood - the adrenaline flows before the races, the love/hate of butterflies in your stomach." - Marcus O'Sullivan

Be somebody's hero, even if that somebody is you. Believe in what you do so that others can believe in themselves, too.

"Fear is gradually replaced by excitement and a simple desire to see what you can do on the day." - Lauren Fleshman

"Experience has taught me how important it is to just keep going, focusing on running fast and relaxed. Eventually pain passes and the flow returns. It's part of racing." - Frank Shorter

"The only bad workout is the one that did not happen."

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." - Confucius

"Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable." - Kara Goucher

What are your favorite motivational running quotes?

Share with us your favorite running quotes or mantras for staying motivated. Please share this article with those who you know could use a little extra running motivation to train harder, get back to training, or just feel better!

Want to read more articles like this?

Become a Sunrise+ member today to unlock access to all premium digital content, running plans, shop discounts, and more! Sign up for just $30.00 per year here.

2 Comments

Fitness Trainer says:

September 23, 2020 at 9:48 pm

Since success starts with attitude, here are 52 quotes to inspire you to succeed at whatever goals you decide to pursue. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”–Mark Twain

Monikao Donnell says:

January 14, 2021 at 4:57 am

This blog is great check it out