Running Quotes from Famous Runners

Watching elite runners compete and run fluidly can be both inspiring and mesmerizing. Famous runners also have plenty of motivating words about running. Here are some meaningful quotes from famous runners to inspire your next runs and races.

“To be a consistent winner means preparing not just one day, one month, or even one year, but for a lifetime.”
– Bill Rogers, winner of four Boston Marathons

“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.”
– John J. Kelley, two-time Boston Marathon winner, U.S. Olympian

“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.”
–Grete Waitz, 9-time winner of the NYC marathon

You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back.
–Steve Prefontaine, U.S. Olympic runner and running legend

“When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring how to excel.”
–Deena Kastor, silver medalist, 2004 Olympic women’s marathon

“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.”
– Jesse Owens, 4-time Olympic gold medalist

“No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.”
–Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile

“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.”
–Billy Mills, U.S. Olympic gold medalist in 10,000m

“When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, I’m just not listening any more.”
–Florence Griffith Joyner, U.S. Track and Field Olympian

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the strongest or fastest man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the fellow who thinks he can.”
–Steve Prefontaine

“Like the marathon, life can sometimes be difficult, challenging and present obstacles, however if you believe in your dreams and never ever give up, things will turn out for the best.”
–Meb Keflezighi, U.S. Olympic marathoner, NYC Marathon Champion

“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, winner, 1984 Olympic women’s marathon

“You can’t become a winner overnight, or even in a couple of years-it takes time…You will lose races and you will have to accept that, learn from it and believe that you’ll win the next one, knowing that you’ll probably lose that as well. All the time you have to keep believing that one day you will win.”
–Paula Radcliffe, former women’s marathon world record holder

“I don’t think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don’t think about the mile I’m on right now, I don’t think about the miles I’ve already covered. I think about what I’m doing right now, just being lost in the moment.”
–Ryan Hall, U.S Olympic marathoner

“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, U.S Olympic marathoner

More Inspiring Running Quotes:

Running coach, avid runner, and fitness writer Christine Luff is an RRCA-certified running coach and ACE-certified personal trainer. Founder of the website Run for Good and author of the book Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, she coaches runners, from beginners to advanced, who are training for races, from 5Ks to marathons.