9 Motivational Quotes About Running

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

– Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”

– Dean Karnazes

Need some more running inspo?

Read about others’ running hardships and triumphs from these Amazon bestsellers—because you need a good story to think about (or listen to!) while running your boring old sidewalks, right?

•  Reborn on the Run: My Journey from Addiction to Ultramarathons
• North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail
• Short Fat Chick to Marathon Runner

And, a book for those of you who’ve decided you only like running in theory (we get it).

• Running with Scissors

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

– John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner’s Guide to the Joy of Running

"Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable."

– Kara Goucher, Olympic long-distance runner

"It's very hard at the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually, you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."

– George Sheehan, M.D., author of Going the Distance

"Nothing, not even pain, lasts forever. If I can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will eventually get to the end."

– Kim Cowart, runner and journalist

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. 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."

– Steve Prefontaine