Running Motivation Follow These 10 Inspirational Quotes From Famous Runners Motivational words to spur you to running greatness By Christine Luff twitter linkedin Christine Many Luff is a personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and Road Runners Club of America Certified Coach. Learn about our editorial process Christine Luff Fact checked by Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS on March 25, 2020 Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Shereen Lehman, MS Updated on March 25, 2020 Print People run for different reasons. Most do it because of the health benefits they can gain from working the heart, lungs, and muscles all at the same time. Others choose to run because it provides them a clear set of goals which they can meet and then exceed. Some run to race; others to socialize or be out in the open air. What all runners share, however, is a singular sense of accomplishment. It is a far different experience from, say, running on a treadmill and peddling away in a spin class. Running gets you from here to there and epitomizes what the sport all about: the journey. Perhaps the biggest challenge of running is not our bodies but our mental state. This is when a little motivation can provide the inspirational kick we need to lace up our running shoes and get out there. Here are 13 quotes designed to do just that. Joan Benoit, 1984 Gold Medal Olympian Joe Kennedy/Getty Images "There’s not a better feeling than when you have found that moment of balance and harmony when both running and life come together. Then you know why you run and that you couldn’t live without it." Bill Rodgers, Four-Time Boston Marathon Champ Koen Suyk/Anefo "The advice I have for beginners is the same philosophy that I have for runners of all levels of experience and ability: consistency, a sane approach, moderation, and making your running an enjoyable, rather than dreaded, part of your life." John J. Kelley, 1957 Boston Marathon Champ Boston Globe/Getty Images "We runners are all a little nutty, but we're good people who just want to enjoy our healthy, primitive challenge. Others may not understand running, but we do, and we cherish it. That's our only message." Grete Waitz, Nine-Time NY Marathon Champ Tom Duffy/Getty Images "For every finish-line tape a runner breaks—complete with the cheers of the crowd and the clicking of hundreds of cameras—there are the hours of hard and often lonely work that rarely gets talked about." Steve Prefontaine, Holder of Seven World Records Ed Lacey/Popperfoto/Getty Images "Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." Deena Kastor, 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist Ambibro "The beauty of running is its simplicity; the beauty of runners is that we all have a similar drive to improve. We are either trying to run a personal best or toeing the line for the first time, which will snowball into a future of trying to run personal bests. We road racers are a tight community of mileage-happy, limit-pushing athletes.” Wilma Rudolph, Three-Time Olympic Gold Champ Bettman "Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion. The potential for greatness lives within each of us." Jesse Owens, Four-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Popperfoto/Getty Image "I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." Billy Mills, Gold Medal Olympian Historic Archives U.S. Marine Corps "The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself to the greatest extent possible. When you do that, you have dignity. You have the pride. You can walk about with character and pride no matter in what place you happen to finish." Florence Griffith Joyner, Three-Time Gold Olympian Focus on Sports/Getty Images "When anyone tells me I can't do anything, I'm just not listening anymore." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Whether you're looking to run faster, further, or just start to run in general, we have the best tips for you. Sign up and become a better runner today! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit