Quotes to Encourage Runners

“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, New York City Marathon co-founder

“Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'”
~Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
~John Bigham

“Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it’s hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run.”
~Monte Davis

“The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank.”
~George Sheehan

“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

“No one ever drowned in sweat.”
~Author Unknown

“We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon. ”
~Emil Zatopek

“Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it’s working. ”
~Brian Tackett

“Running is one the best solutions to a clear mind. ”
~Sasha Azevedo

“People ask why I run. I say, “If you have to ask, you will never understand”. It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels.”
~Erin Leonard

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving.”
~Maurice Greene

“There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighborhoods you can’t live in, schools you can’t get into, but the roads are always open.”
~Nike

“The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”
~Robert Frost

“Even if you fall flat on your face• at least you are moving forward.”
~Sue Luke

“Tough times don’t last but tough people do.”
~A.C. Green

“Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.”
~Jules Renard

“The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy…It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.”
~Jacqueline Gareau

“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow. ”
~Henry David Thoreau

“Endurance is patience concentrated.”
~Carlyle

“Do or do not. There is no try.”
~Yoda
(Note: This is what my husband says to me whenever I say “I’m trying for X miles today.” I then I respond by saying, “I will do X miles today.”)

“Anybody running beats anybody walking, and anybody walking beats anybody sitting.”
~Tom Bunk

“The endurance athlete is the ultimate realist.”
~Marty Liquori

“Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call
on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.”
~Tim Noakes

References:

Motivational Running Quotes, About.com

Running Quotes, Run The Planet

Running Quotes, Run-Down

10K Truths Quotes on Running, 10K Truths

Quotes, Revel Sports