40 Inspiring Sayings for Runners and Trail Runners

Looking for inspiration, here are some phrases that will help get out there to run.

Have a look at these motivational sayings about running.

Distance running was cherished since it was essential to our survival and expansion. You ran to eat and avoid being eaten, to find a mate and impress her, and to start a new life with her. Run or you'd never love anything else. Like everything else we love—our 'passions' and 'desires'—it's an ancestral requirement. We were born because we run.
McDougall

"There is no wonder in the fact that I completed the task. The fact that I even got started is a miracle."
John Bingham, an accomplished runner and novelist

As time goes on, nerves give way to exhilaration and a pure curiosity to find out what you're capable of.
Lauren Brown is a distance runner from the United States.

"It makes no difference if you finish first, second, or last. When you're done, you can declare it. This is quite satisfying to me."
Pere Quart, Barcelona  Marathon.

For as many different reasons as there are individuals looking at a race, it will have an effect on them.
Author: Steve Costello

"Running a risky race and facing the unknown forces you to discover fascinating things about yourself."
Dora Black, UK runner

Perhaps all of our problems - all of the violence, obesity, illness, sadness, and greed that we can't seem to overcome - started when we stopped living as Running People. If you deny your nature, it will erupt in a different, uglier form.
Giovanni, Romario

"Advantages of running include improved health, less stress, a chance to connect with nature, and the company of other runners. Although I enjoy running overall, the thing that has always made it truly enjoyable for me is competing in races."
Four-time Boston Marathon victor Bill Rodgers

"The elegance of running lies in its simplicity, and the elegance of runners is in our shared desire to better ourselves. We're either aiming for a new personal record or stepping into the starting line for the first time, both of which will inevitably lead to further attempts at new PBs in the future."
—Deena Kastor, Olympic medalist for the United States

"Exactly what use does race serve? The opportunity to be the best, the need to prove oneself, and the necessity to take risks all contribute to this."
Journalist and author George Sheeha

Tramps like us, sweetheart, were born to run.
Tomarello Josepe

"To put it simply, everyone wants to feel something. Mine comes from competing in races."
In the words of Olympic runner John Trautmann:
You're a runner. Not as swiftly, far, or efficiently as others. Running produces energy, delivers oxygen, and strengthens bones.
Sawyer Tuscany

"Always on edge, that's me. It would be strange if I wasn't nervous. Every time I go to a major event, I feel the same way. The situation is normal, and I have come to terms with it. I am present and prepared."
Gold and silver medallist at the Olympics, Allyson Felix
"I believe, wholeheartedly, that racing requires extreme bravery. As difficult as it is, sometimes you just have to take some chances and show some aggression."
In the words of Bill Rodgers:

A gazelle in Africa must outrun the fastest lion every morning or be murdered. A lion awakens every dawn in Africa. It must outrun the slowest gazelle or starve. When the sun rises, you'd better be running, lion or gazelle.
Joan Perafita

"Racing is the exciting part; it's what you work for."
American distance runner Kara Goucher

You might as well not get out of bed in the morning if you're mentally unable to compete.
Long-distance runner and American icon Todd Williams

"Before a major race, I tend to think rather simply. In my head, I keep repeating, "Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. The saying goes, "If you play your cards right, you'll win.""
Nin-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis

"I get a rush out of stomping all over my competition and dominating a race. Get nasty with me, shall we? Let's get into a fight. It is primitive and animalistic; there is no one to rely on but oneself. Indeed, that's the greatest high one can experience."
U.S. 5K national champion Adam Goucher


"Let's get it out of the way now. It's painful to race. A second truth is that it hurts considerably more to have trained hard for a race and then not give it your all. The initial discomfort usually fades after a day or two. Anguish of the second variety can remain with one forever."
Zen and the Art of Racing author Larry Shapiro

"Racing can serve as motivation for a variety of reasons, from logging more miles to improving overall health and well-being.
Author and runner Hal Higdon

"Have faith in the training you performed to win the race. Look at your training records to reassure yourself that you are fully ready to take on the challenge ahead. The race itself is exciting because it's where all your training pays off. Relax and take things easy."
U.S. Olympic marathon runner Desiree Linden

"To dream is human. But it takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and perseverance to turn ambitions into reality."
Famous American sprinter Jesse Owens

"Automobile racing provides a welcome diversion from everyday life. From status symbols and one's own sense of oneself. the freedom to simply exist. For everyone to relax and enjoy each other's company."
According to Petro Canivalli 

Slower and slower I get, yet the drama, struggle, stretching, and revelations about myself and others at each race never change.
By George Sheehan

"Running is in my blood; I love and detest the feeling of adrenaline rushing through my veins just before a race."
Middle-distance runner and Irish national hero Marcus O'Sullivan

"Every step forward, not backward, is what you should focus on. When you put on your running shoes in the morning, you are a different person than when you took them off the night before. The news is fantastic in every way."
—John Bingham, marathon runner

"Competing in races encourages us to push ourselves to the limit. It teaches us to challenge the limits we'd set for ourselves. Exploring our limits teaches us about ourselves. Our work entails the following. So this is the crux of the matter."
Olympian competitor PattiSue Plumer of the United States

"Not even close; I won. You just completed something in my presence."
Writer and runner Hal Higdon of the United States of America

"You can't "push" yourself to run fast. You just need to loosen yourself and the speed will come."
Intended by Desiree Linden

"A marathon is never easier to run later on. We're merely at the end of the beginning now that we're halfway there."
Joe Henderson, renowned running coach

Beyond tremendous tiredness and distress, we may find ease and power we never imagined; sources of strength never taxed because we never push through the obstruction.
Jose Fernández, Salvador's 10k champion

"Running in the race is still one of the highlights of my life, no matter how old I am."
By George Sheehan

"If you're not feeling well after 10 kilometers, things won't improve. If you're not feeling great after 20 miles, that's completely normal. To say that 26 miles doesn't make you feel horrible is an understatement."
Australia's Rob de Castella, the world's best marathoner, said this.

"The elegance of running lies in its simplicity, and the elegance of runners is in our shared desire to better ourselves. We're either aiming for a new personal record or stepping into the starting line for the first time, both of which will inevitably lead to further attempts at new PBs in the future."
—Deena Kastor, Olympic medalist for the United States

For as many different reasons as there are individuals looking at a race, it will have an effect on them.
Author: Steve Prefontaine

Whether running a mile or a marathon, "one talent that differentiates good from almost-good runners is the capacity to concentrate throughout the entire race."
Goucher, Kara

"Those of us at the starting line learn to take what the days provides us, what our body will allow, and what our will can tolerate. This is what separates us from those of us who sit on the couch and watch TV all day."
Runner, author, and public speaker John Bingham

I often say, "Race day is the cherry on top of a great training season."
Five-kilometer and twenty-kilometer marathon national champion Dan Browne

Keep going whether you have to run, walk, or even crawl.
An ultramarathon athlete, Dean Karnazes

"The outcome of each race is a mystery to me until the very end of the course. That is why racing is so exciting."
(Joe Henderson)

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"Funny how on race day the same pace in training can feel so much easier . Keep your chin up. Have faith in the journey."
Sara Hall, an American distance runner

"To win in a race is irrelevant. No races happen on most days. To triumph, one must put up constant effort, have an optimistic outlook, and never, ever, ever give up."
—Amby Burfoot, American marathon runner

"To put it plainly, your objective is to complete the task. Try to enjoy your first race rather than trying to win it."
Author of "The Runner's Handbook," Bob Glover

It's not enough to wish for victory; you must prepare for it
Mo Farah, UK runner

"When I go for a run, I have some time to myself and my mind can relax from the knots it has been in since the beginning of the day. When I'm done with my run, that's it; I've pounded out my frustrations on the pavement and focused my kinetic energy into my legs."
 Runner Rob Haneisen

If you can fix these nine inches, you'll be able to compete with anyone in the world.
Gold medallist English Olympian Sebastian Coe

"Praising your own achievements will get you nowhere."
Author: Steve Prefontaine

"There's something about the emotions at the finish line after a long run that I find hard to resist. My favorite sensation is when I've worked up a good sweat and am completely spent. A decent muscle soreness after accomplishing something worthwhile is one of my favorite feelings."
Mile Markers author Kristin Armstrong

"Just be natural and act equine. Get stupid. Don't walk, run."
Track and field legend and legendary coach Jumbo Elliot

"There is an end to every suffering. I know that I just need to keep moving forward, one step at a time."
Journalist and runner Kim Cowart

"It's not about the finish line when it comes to running. The purpose of this experiment is to see how far the human heart can go."
Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman

"Magical pixie dust was sprinkled into our running shoes. The ability to turn around a bad day, channel aggravation into speed, overcome uncertainty with confidence, and turn chocolate cake into muscle."
From the book "Run Like a Girl," written by Mina Samuels

"Experiencing extreme distress can be cathartic in a way. It's as simple as asking any runner."
By Dean Karnazes

"Maintain a regular running schedule. Go the distance. However, you should never let your enthusiasm for running fade."
—Julie Isphording, American Olympian runner