8 Running Quotes to Inspire You!!!
Here are several inspirational quotes to motivate you.
“The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.” – George Sheehan
At base, running is living in the moment and living well. When we obsess about this simplest of sports, we are truly interested in getting more and more out of this one exhilarating life.
“Good things come slow, especially in distance running.” – Bill Dellinger
Coach Dellinger was Bill Bowerman’s assistant coach at University of Oregon and went on to be a glorious coach himself. This quote stands out to me because it is a reminder of the truth that the great things of life develop slowly and usually take much hard work. I like this statement because it is honest, and it speaks to the grittiness of distance running.
“Run the mile you are in.” – Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall, the superb U.S. half-marathon record holder (sub 1 hour!!!), has a book out by this same title. His words mean so much to me because he reminds me to stay focused on the task at hand and not get so worked up about what’s ahead or behind.
“Run in the morning … before your brain figures out what your body is doing.” – Anonymous
I had never come across this quote before until tonight, and it resonated for me because of its humor. It is a smart thing to do to trick your body to do a hard thing before it is even awake!
“A runner must run with dreams in his heart.” – Emil Zatopek
Emil Zatopek, arguably the greatest distance runner to have ever laced up his or her shoes, has scores of experience to back up his words. I have always loved this quote because it is utterly motivational and inspiring. It reminds me that we must think big in life and in our running.
“Running is flying intermittently.” – Alain Bremond-Torrent
Here is another quote which I just came across tonight. I almost didn’t include it in this set of quotations, but when I read it over a few times, it captivated me. Yes, running is flying – down to earth flying.
“Running is therapy one can afford.” – Toni Sorenson
Sorenson is right on the mark here. Anyone who has paid for therapy week after week after month after month eventually comes to the conclusion that it might be a better use of time and money to go out for a really hard run, solo.
“Run hard when it’s hard to run.” – Paavo Nurmi
Lastly, I love this quote from the original Flying Finn, himself, because it hearkens back to a consistent mantra for me as I train – do the hard thing even when it hurts. You’ll be all the fitter and tougher for doing so.
So, there you have it, a few quotes to stimulate you to hit the roads and trails. It might be good to choose your favorite and to mull it over during your next workout. Just be sure to choose wisely!
And if you liked these quotes, click here for 10 quotes I chose to write about several years back!
Good one, thanks for sharing.