Imagine lacing up your running shoes to train for any distance without any self-doubt.
Over time you developed the perseverance, confidence, and discipline to take the starting line of any new distance.
Or imagine waking up every morning lean and muscular, with a miraculous level of endurance, a level of endurance that you thought only existed within professional athletes.
No more spending multiple hours wasted on wishful thinking, no more becoming tired after a few minutes of running, and no more feelings of hopelessness.
Better yet, imagine yourself crossing the finish line of your first half, full, or ultra marathon and significantly changing your life for the better. Improving in every possible way imaginable.
And these changes not only better your life, but as a reciprocal, they better the lives of your loved ones as well.
You could stand on the starting line of the Boston Marathon year after year, if you desire. You could travel around the world and race in some of the most well known ultramarathons held on planet Earth.
You could push the boundaries of human endurance and reach unfathomable distances on foot. And before long, you will not only become an experienced long-distance runner, but people will look to you for advice.
And although running may seem like a very physical endeavor, developing a strong mindset is what ultimate gets you across the finish line.
If you are ready to begin working on your mental strength, continue below for a list of 11 running motivation quotes that could change your life. Realizations that took me from running a few miles on a treadmill, to eventually finishing my first 200 mile ultra marathon.
Running Motivation Quote #1
A runner’s stamina is the result of all the struggles they are willing to overcome both inside and outside of their running shoes.
From the author of The Fat Adapted Running Formula
Running Motivation Quote #2
One day I laced up a pair of running shoes to learn how to run, who knew that one day they would teach me how to fly.
From the author of Mindful Ultramarathon Running
Running Motivation Quote #3
I’ve run worried and stressed about life, where 10 miles seems like 100. Yet, I’ve also run peacefully and joyfully, where 100 miles seems like 10. And the difference was never from the hills on the course, but always from the mountains in the mind.
From the author of The Ultramarathon Guide
Running Motivation Quote #4
Whatever distance you believe you can run is the exact distance you will end up running.
From the author of Your First Halfmarathon, One Step at a Time
Running Motivation Quote #5
Fall in love with the journey and every mile will be a magical one.
From the author of A Runner’s Secret
Running Motivation Quote #6
Running isn’t just something we do. It’s a part of who we are.
From the author of The Fat Adapted Running Formula
Running Motivation Quote #7
Running a marathon is not some impossible feat designed for elite runners. It’s for runners like you who want to push the limits of everyday life. Because everything you were called to become, whether in running or life, patiently waits right on the other side of your comfort zone.
From the author of The Basic Marathon Guide
Running Motivation Quote #8
How long you can run is proportionate to how long you can suffer. If you’ve overcome great struggles in your life…then you have the mindset to run extraordinarily long distances, and you may not even know it.
From the author of Mindful Ultramarathon Running
Running Motivation Quote #9
When you are out running those endless miles, and gazing up into the endless sky, if you fall in love with the endless journey, then your endurance will have no end.
From the author of My Long Distance Running Journey
Running Motivation Quote #10
On race day we run in a space between what’s comfortable and what we really want. Expect to be uncomfortable, but also, expect the finish line to change your life.
From the author of The Basic Marathon Guide
Running Motivation Quote #11
As your endurance increases, so does your feeling of freedom. That’s the secret gift hidden in every new distance.
From the author of The Ultramarathon Guide
Final Thoughts
For me, running was always less about being “a runner” and more about the act of personal development. That’s because running is such an incredible metaphor for life.
Focus, clarity, patience, adaptation, will, perseverance, dedication, courage, strength, love, faith, gratitude, insight, passion…If you can’t find these positive emotions during a long run, then my guess is you’re not looking. That, or you’re not open to finding them.
That’s what these running motivation quotes do. They help strengthen all the positive energies that work in your favor. That is, those positive emotions that create all the goodness in your life.
Think about it. If you can develop perseverance in your running and transfer it into everyday life, consider the goals you can achieve. Or if you learn to have faith in the unknown and in your abilities to run farther, consider the magic that will enter into your life. Imagine the greater risks you will take to gain those greater rewards.
Or consider the patience that you develop from running long distances. Now think about how that enduring patience can help improve your relationships with the people you love. It’s really quite magnificent when you take the time to consider the benefits that running can have on your life.
And, of course…you receive all the health benefits as well. When you are running to better yourself, your life, and the lives of others, your potential becomes limitless.
Today, take one more step than you did yesterday……and one more step forward in your long-distance running journey.
