You know, I must be honest here - running for me is a straightforward form of torture. Yet, although I prefer to get from point A to B at my shuffling kind of pace, reading these running quotes has inspired me greatly. I'm still not sure what they have inspired me to do, but now I kinda get the elation people feel when they finish their run! So, whether you are a devoted runner or a slower-moving person like me, these quotes about running will stir something in you either way.
Unlike the other sports quotes, these ones have a nice undercurrent in all of them, and it's being disconnected from the busy world around you and channeling your thoughts into yourself. Kind of having quality alone time with you, your thoughts, and your body. Now, that can also be achieved with plenty of other sports, but running, judging from these wonderful quotes, seems to be the number one in this category. Another thing these inspiring quotes talk so often about is perseverance. And we all know that without perseverance, good things don't really come your way. Seems like running is an excellent school for that!
So, tighten your shoelaces, do some stretching and let's run straight into these moving quotes together! Once you are there, vote for the best quotes about running from this list, and don't forget to share this article with your friends.
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"Runners just do it – they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first." — Unknown
"Run in the morning... before your brain figures out what your body is doing!" – Anonymous
"Running is a simple activity. Just lace up your shoes and go, one step at a time, like each breath."― Adharanand Finn
"I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner." – Bart Yasso
"I like what it does for my mind. If I've had a bad day, if I'm feeling stressed out, if I'm feeling overwhelmed — it takes it all away. It's my antidote for everything. If I feel any sort of emotional upheaval, I go for a jog and I feel better." — Kelly Ripa
"It gave me a natural endorphin high, but it also helped me sleep, so it was perfect. It’s easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise." — Eminem
"If you don’t have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain’t getting them." – Christopher McDougall
"Running is alone time that lets my brain unspool the tangles that build up over days." – Bob Hneisen
"Running is great for your body. It will increase your energy levels and helps you to clear your mind." — Heidi Klum
"Just keep moving. Someone said this to me a long time ago. It's a Buddhist saying, I think: 'There is no wasted effort.'" — Lauren Graham
"Running is something you can do and be alone in your thoughts, and I like that." — Carole Radziwill
"If we had a drug that did what exercise did, it would be the biggest revolution ever and would be promoted all over the world. And all you have to do is go out for a run." — Greg Wells, Ph.D.
"The trouble with jogging is that, by the time you realize you’re not in shape for it, it’s too far to walk back." — Franklin P. Jones
"There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighbors you can’t live in, schools you can’t get into, but the roads are always open." — Nike
"Running is a lot like life. Only 10 percent of it is exciting. 90 percent of it is slog and drudge." — Dave Bedford
"Running is alone time that lets my brain unspool the tangles that build up over days… I run, pound it out on the pavement, channel that energy into my legs, and when I’m done with my run, I’m done with it." — Rob Haneisen
"Fast running isn’t forced. You have to relax and let the run come out of you." – Desiree Linden
"Different people have different reasons for racing, but one is simply the incentive to get out and run, increase mileage and feel good." — Hal Higdon
"Running is that big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks, are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today." – Peter Maher
"I was born to be a runner. I simply love to run. It’s almost like the faster I go, the easier it becomes." – Mary Decker Slaney
"Life is complicated. Running is simple. Is it any wonder that people like to run?" – Kevin Nelson
"Running would help with the weight, but the weight did not help with running."― Alexandra Heminsley
"A runner’s high doesn’t come from thinking about the end result, only of the moment, one step, one breath, one heartbeat at a time."― C.J. Heck
"Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it." — Oprah Winfrey
"I always run without music. Being disconnected is what I'm addicted to more than anything. There aren't many places where you can be without your phone and computer. I've started to crave and enjoy that time alone." — Christy Turlington
"I really love going places without a map. When I went running in Paris, I headed for a monument or a statue that I could see off in the distance. To get back where I started, I simply used the GPS on my phone." — Brooklyn Decker
"Running is the quickest endorphin hit I can get. I like to do it really early in the morning, before everyone gets up. It gives me a clear head and sort of resets the clock. It’s like, 'OK, I got that out of the way. Now I can deal with people.'" — Julie Bowen
"I never listen to music when I run – I listen to the beat of my heart. I like to feel the blood pumping in my veins. If I’m running for a long time, I take my hydration pack. I like to disappear up a mountain or into the woods and come back two hours later." — Fred Sirieux
"It started to become what I looked forward to most; it was the only time I got to be in my own head." — Rob Riggle
"Running is my alone time. I have people around me all the time, all day. The only time I have alone is when I’m running, or when I’m at church. Running’s easier to fit in." — Mario Lopez
"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up." — Dean Karnazes
"I love the way that it makes my body feel and it’s just my time for myself where I can get out there and think and let my mind go." — Laila Ali
"Something happens to me when I run. People think it’s crazy when I say it. All of my ideas come in when I run. That is my time where it’s just me, where I get to create." — Theo Rossi
"Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine." — John Trautmann
"Running is kind of like coffee. The first time you drink it you might not like it. It’s bitter and leaves a bad taste in your mouth but you kind of like the way it makes you feel. However, after a few times, it starts to taste better and then all of a sudden you’re hooked and it’s the new best part of waking up." — Amy Hastings
"Coming back to running after a few weeks off is really tough. It’s humbling. Nothing wrong with a large dose of humility." — Davina McCall
"I choose the things that I want to do, and they all revolve around one thing: food. Even my running has to do with food. I run to stay in shape so I can eat what I want." — Bobby Flay
"I like trails more than roads. I’ve jumped over my share of rattlesnakes. I’ve seen mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, hawks." — Reggie Miller
"Jogging is very beneficial. It’s good for your legs and your feet. It’s also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed." ― Charles M. Schultz
"My doctor told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten years older already." ― Milton Berle
"I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I’m damned if I’m going to use up mine running up and down a street." – Neil Armstrong
"If you’ve never had a bad day running, you’re probably doing something wrong. If you’ve never had a good day running, you’re definitely doing something wrong." — Mark Remy
"There are many challenges to long-distance running, but one of the greatest is the question of where to put one’s house keys." — Gabrielle Zevin
"Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable." — Kara Goucher
"I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go." – Dean Karnazes
"We run when we’re scared, we run when we’re ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time." ― Christopher McDougall
"The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other… but to be with each other." – Christopher McDougall
"The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart." – Bill Bowerman
"The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life." – George Sheehan
I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to self-satisfaction." – Steve Prefontaine
"Every race proves a new opportunity to educate myself about what it means to be a runner and what it means to run." ― Jill Grunenwald
"Run! Life’s too short to walk. Unless you don’t know where you’re running to, then move very slowly." ― Neil A. Hogan
"Running is a form of practiced stoicism. It means teaching your brain and body to be biochemically comfortable in a state of disrepair."― Matthew Inman
"My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: 'Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you’ll win… channel your energy. Focus.'" – Carl Lewis
"I always say if the marathon is a part-time interest, you will only get part-time results." – Bill Rodgers
"When you cross the finish line, no matter how slow or fast, it will change your life forever." – Dick Beardsley
"Running is a mental sport, more than anything else. You’re only as good as your training, and your training is only as good as your thinking."― Lauren Oliver
"Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there’s no reason to fear starting lines — or other new beginnings." – Amby Burfoot
"In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that." — Fred Lebow
"I love running but I think you have to find a workout routine that really speaks to you beyond trying to get goals for your body. For me, running, I need it as much for my head and to clear my head as I do for keeping in shape." — Meghan Markle
"It makes me feel like I can conquer anything that comes at me. I’m never tapped out. I’m never tired around my two kids. I owe a lot of that to running." — Travis Barker
"Running has been my main form of exercise. I've been running five or six days a week. I love it." — Natalie Coughlin
"Running is the basis of all the training that I do... it's like an escape." — Ellie Goulding
"Of all the sports I’ve tried, some have come and gone but running has always been there for me. It’s the simplest of things to do: shove your trainers on and just go." — Mel C
"I feel like when I am running, it not only helps change me physically, it also improves my state of mind." — Derek Hough
"Just running the streets was absolutely everything and more than I possibly expected." — Jennie Finch
"I’m most nervous about everybody making fun of the way I run" Lawrence said, "I do, like, karate hands. Instead of running with my hands closed together like a normal person. It’s like I’m trying to be aerodynamic or something, so my hands are straight like razors." — Jennifer Lawrence
"Running a marathon is not a question of whether it will be painful, but when it will be painful. It does help to have a sense of humor, but I’m also respectful of the race." — Will Ferrell
"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." – John Bingham
"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are." – Joan Benoit Samuelson
"If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." – Kathrine Switzer
"I’ve learned that it’s what you do with the miles, rather than how many you’ve run." – Rod DeHaven
"Remember, the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running." – Sarah Condor
"He taught me to run high on my toes. I will always remember his words: run proud and remember you are alive."― Brian Andreas
"My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I am too busy." – John Bryant
"Why race? The need to be tested, perhaps; the need to take risks; and the chance to be number one."— George Sheehan
"Runners don’t quit. We fade; we 'hit the wall'; we’re sometimes reduced to a walk. But we keep on."― Amby Burfoot
"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it." – Priscilla Welch
"A lot of people run a race to see who’s the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." – Steve Prefontaine
"Children run everywhere for a reason – it’s fun. Grown-ups can forget that sometimes."― Jim Butcher
"Those who never run long distance or meditate in their lifetimes, miss out on the best free drugs the planet has to offer."― Robert Black
"When you run, every step you take leaves your weaker self behind and brings you one step closer to the strongest person you can be."― Toni Sorenson
"If you want to run, then run a mile. If you want to experience another life, run a marathon." – Emil Zatopek
"We all know that if you run, you are pretty much choosing a life of success because of it." – Deena Kastor
"You can’t be miserable when you’re running. It’s such a simple and pure way to feel alive." ― Veronica Rossi
"Running is a hard, simple calculus: Run until you can’t run anymore. Then run some more. Find a new source of energy and will. Then run even faster."― Scott Jurek
"There's great empowerment that I get from running, not only from the endorphins... Being a runner, to me, has made being depressed impossible. If ever I'm going through something emotional and just go outside for a run, you can rest assured that I'll come back with clarity and empowerment." — Alanis Morissette
"I’m all about breaking mental boundaries, and training for a marathon falls right into the Jedi mind-training I need." — Alicia Keys
"This is the hardest thing I’ve ever put my body through, but for me, running is a mental game. I’ve learned that if I can convince myself to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, then I can run as far as I want to." — Chip Gaines
"Running has always been a relief and a sanctuary — something that makes me feel good, both physically and mentally. For me, it’s not so much about the health benefits. Those are great, but I believe that the best thing about running is the joy it brings to life." — Kara Goucher
"It's an acquired skill, being able to discuss your love life, children, and friends, all while you're running! But we have mastered it." — Reese Witherspoon
"I am a running joke. Waking up at 4:30 am and jogging anywhere from 11 to 23 miles has been nothing short of horrifying." — Ryan Reynolds
"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." — Steve Prefontaine
"Doesn’t matter how fast you cross the finish line if you’re running the wrong race."― Richie Norton
"You would run much slower if you were dragging something behind you, like a knapsack or a sheriff." ― Lemony Snicket
"Running is a road to self-awareness and reliance-you can push yourself to extremes and learn the harsh reality of your physical and mental limitations or coast quietly down a solitary path watching the earth spin beneath your feet." – Doris Brown Heritage
"Not all races are run on a track. And not all finish lines are marked by ticker tape."― Toni Sorenson
"Running is in my blood—the adrenaline flows before the races, the love/hate of butterflies in your stomach." — Marcus O’Sullivan
"If you don’t think you were born to run you’re not only denying history. You’re denying who you are." – Christopher McDougall
"Running... led to deep happiness that only comes from doing what you love, what your soul screams at you to do upon waking each day."― S.F. Hick
"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming." – Frank Shorter
"I’ve always enjoyed exercise, especially outside, but I always assumed you needed to be a bit more of a fitness fan to go running. A few years or two ago when a friend suggested I give it a go and now I’m hooked! I still love Nordic walking and Pilates, but running is a new addition to my exercise routine and I’m so pleased to have found it." — Liz Earle
"I woke up on my birthday and said, ‘I want to run 10 miles.’ I just wanted to see if I could run double-digit mileage." — Sterling K. Brown
"I remember looking at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and thinking, ‘What have I signed up for here?’ It's one of those things where you're like, ‘Okay, here we go!’ Your corral starts off and you start running, and I guess the adrenaline kind of gets you going, and you're literally off to the races; you're fine." — Al Roker
"It's no fun to sit down and talk about what exercise has to do with life... go drip that sweat, run until we're fatigued, to where the mind can't ponder the past or the future, well, then you've got something... It's fun to feel healthy, and it's fun to feel good." — Matthew McConaughey
"Running is the classical road to self-consciousness, self-awareness, and self-reliance." — Noel Carroll
"Life equals running and when we stop running maybe that’s how we’ll know life is finally finished." – Patrick Ness
"Running is a thing worth doing not because of the future rewards it bestows, but because of how it feeds our bodies and minds and souls in the present." – Kevin Nelson
"Running is the movement of a free human being. It doesn’t demand any special premises or machines. You only need to put on your shoes and get going. Let the blood circulate. Then everything becomes much clearer."― Markus Torgeby
"It’s a treat being a runner, out in the world by yourself with not a soul to make you bad-tempered or tell you what to do." – Alan Sillitoe