A runner who I coached several years ago is a cancer survivor and was determined to get back to running after he finished his treatment. Having lost a lot of fitness and muscle tone, he struggled during his first few months, but he used a mental trick to help push him through those difficult runs.
He’d think back to where he was a year earlier – in a hospital bed, hooked up to IVs, and not sure if he’d survive – and remind himself how far he’d come by repeating a running mantra to himself. He kept saying the phrase, “This time, last year” over and over to himself while running.
When he was just a couple of days away from running the New York City Marathon, he shared with our team that he had a new mantra that he’d be using during the race. It was, “This time, this year,” to celebrate his incredible journey and express his gratitude for his health and strength.
After he successfully crossed the marathon finish line, he told me that his running mantra did help him get through those late miles when everything hurt and he needed that mental strength to keep moving forward.
The Power of Running Mantras
You don’t have to have lived through something traumatic or extremely difficult to harness the power of running mantras. Anyone can use a short, motivational phrase to help push through a killer workout or a rough patch in a race.
Repeating a mantra over and over again can help calm you down, stay mindful, and also distract you from any discomfort or doubts you might be feeling.
Ideas for Running Mantras
Your mantra doesn’t even have to have any special meaning. It could just be a phrase that gets you really pumped. It’s definitely good to work some action words into your mantra, since they tend to make us feel more powerful and stronger. Some examples of ones I’ve used in the past: “Dig deeper”; “Feeling stronger, getting faster”; “Leave nothing on the course.”
Some runners even like to print a mantra on their race shirt, so spectators repeat it for them as they run by. I’ve seen runners in long races write mantras on a bracelet and use a different one for each mile. Some even wear an engraved mantra bracelet with their favorite phrase.
You could also use mantras at specific points in a race, like on a hill (“Up the hill, up the hill” or “You own this hill!”) or in your final mile (“Kick it up” or “Finish strong”). But running mantras don’t have to be really serious or technical to be effective. I know a runner who swears that saying, “Beer at the finish!” pushes him harder in a race.
One suggestion when choosing your running mantra is to avoid negative words such as NOT, as is: “I’m NOT going to stop.” When you make a statement like that, your brain may just hear the “stop” and then that’s all you can think about. Stick to positive statements such as, “I’m going to keep running,” and you’ll do just that.
More ideas for mantras:
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
“Run the mile you’re in.”
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
“I can and I will.”
“Feet fast, legs strong, I can do this all day long.”
“Just breathe.”
“I’m tough. I’m strong. I can run this.”
“Pain is weakness leaving the body.”
“Sky above me, earth below me, fire within me”
“Arms faster, legs faster.”
“I’ve got this.”
“I breathe in strength, I breathe out weakness.” (Amy Hastings)
“Keep moving forward.”
“One foot in front of the other.”
“Everything you need is already inside.”
“Just stay calm.”
“The body achieves what the mind believes.”
“Calm and relaxed, I’ll run fast.” (Des Linden, 2018 Boston Marathon champ)
“It only works if you work it.”
“Today I’m fit, fast, and fierce.”
“You’re stronger than your excuses.”
“Stay smooth, stay strong.”
“Don’t look. Don’t listen. Just run.”
“Stronger with every mile.”
“This is who you are. This is what you do.” (Scott Jurek)
“How much do you want it?”
“Never surrender.”
“I worked hard for this.”
“This too shall pass.”
“My race, my pace. I can do this.”
“Never take a finish line for granted.” (Bart Yasso)
“Work for it.”
“Bring it on.”
“Deep breaths, strong legs.”
“I am fit. I am strong. I am capable.”
“I run for those who can’t.”
“It doesn’t get easier. You get stronger.”
You may also enjoy:
- Marathon Running Quotes
- Inspiring Running Quotes
- How Runners Can Use Positive Self-Talk
- Mental Running Quotes
- Short Motivational Running Quotes
