Running can be a real journey! Sometimes you need a laugh, sometimes you need a little reminder as to why you started running in the first place, and sometimes you need to stop thinking.. and go do your run!
My favorite encouraging running quote
One of my favorite quotes for running is from Nike…
Just do it!
I used to put my runs off sometimes and my dad would step and tell me to stop thinking about it, and just go do it! Here’s what he’d say (if you need a little tough love to stop procrastinating and being lazy).
My close favorite running quote is from my dad
“You could’ve done your run by now if you’d have spent that time running and not thinking, and you’d feel great!”
I’ve put together a tonne of running quotes to help get your mind back on track. Remember why you started running, relate to the journey of running, and give you that little (or big!) boost you need to lace up your shoes again.
We’ve got motivational running quotes, quotes about the longer endurance training, and so much more..
Take what you need from my collection..
10 motivational running quotes
- “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” – John Bingham
- “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” – Dean Karnazes
- “Every run is a work of art.” – Bill Bowerman
- “Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind that you have to convince.” – Andrew Murphy
- “Today’s pain is tomorrow’s strength.” – Unknown
- “If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” – Florence Griffith Joyner
- “The human spirit can handle much more than we realize. It matters how you are going to finish. Are you going to finish strong?” – Eliud Kipchoge
- “Don’t dream of winning, train for it!” – Mo Farah
- “The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them.” – Arthur Clarke
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
And one from me!
“Not every run will be your best run, but every single run adds life to your years” – Katie
10 quotes about endurance and half marathon training
- “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” – William Barclay
- “The long run puts the tiger in the cat.” – Bill Squires
- “The half-marathon…a true test of endurance, speed, and willpower.” – Unknown
- “It’s the sustained effort that ultimately yields the greatest results.” – Unknown
- “Mastering the half-marathon distance is about consistent training and believing in your body’s ability to adapt.” – Unknown
- “The miracle of the human spirit is that it can endure the unbearable.” – Walter M. Miller Jr.
- “Each long run is a deposit in your mental and physical bank for race day.” – Unknown
- “Endurance is the struggle to continue when your body says, ‘Stop!'” – Unknown
- “The key to a successful half-marathon isn’t just the speed of your fast runs, but the consistency of your easy and long runs.” – Unknown
- “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
And one from me!
It’s hard, so hard to get through a longer run, but it’s so worth the pure joy at the end, so run right through that wall – Katie
5 short and snappy quotes about running
- “Run happy.” – Unknown
- “Just keep moving.” – Unknown
- “Run it out.” – Unknown
- “Feel alive. Run.” – Unknown
- “Miles equal smiles.” – Unknown
And one from me!
Bad day, good day? Run – Katie
5 quotes about trail running
- “The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all that you are traveling for.” – Louis L’Amour
- “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time.” – John Muir
- “On the open road or a dusty trail, you soon realize that you are the universe.” – Lawrence Block
- “Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” – John Muir
- “The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Unknown
And one from me!
Trail running is nice because you can’t hear the traffic – Katie
5 short quotes about overcoming running battles
- “Embrace the challenge.” – Unknown
- “Push through it.” – Unknown
- “Stronger with every step.” – Unknown
- “Victory loves struggle.” – Unknown
- “This too shall pass. Keep running.” – Unknown
And one from me!
When I face that same local steep hill, I picture myself overcoming my personal battles, and then I can do it – Katie
5 quotes about loving running
- “Running is my therapy.” – Unknown
- “I run because I can.” – Unknown
- “My favorite view is from mile whatever.” – Unknown
- “Running: cheaper than therapy.” – Unknown
- “The joy of running is the freedom it brings.” – Unknown
And a last one from me!
Yeah the short term endorphins are great, but when you run, you find deeply rooted peace and joy. That’s what I do it for.
Running is definitely my therapy… and after mental health struggles I feel pretty equipped to say that!
Whether you needed some motivation for your next run if you’re training for a couch to 10K, or if you just needed a bit of inspiration to get started running.. I hope you got what you came for!
Written by Katie McDonald, 8th May 2025
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