Marathon is a running race of slightly over 26 miles (42.195 kilometres). Profoundly inspirational marathon quotes will challenge the way you think, and make your life worth living.
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Famous Marathon Quotes
I always say if the marathon is a part time interest, you will only get part time results. Bill Rodgers
But I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself. Meb Keflezighi
You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming. Frank Shorter
The next generation is like the last runner in a very long relay race. The race to end extreme poverty has been a marathon, with the starter gun fired in 1800. This next generation has the unique opportunity to complete the job to pick up the baton, cross the line, and raise its hands in triumph. The project must be completed. And we should have a big party when we are done. Hans Rosling
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
When I go to the Boston Marathon now, I have wet shoulders women fall into my arms crying. They’re weeping for joy because running has changed their lives. They feel they can do anything. Kathrine Switzer
When you run the marathon, you run against the distance, not against the other runners and not against the time. Haile Gebrselassie
And then there’s the perverse joy of subtly working in references to marathon training in daily life, say at the post office or while waiting outside my first graders classrooms at the end of the school day. Sarah Bowen Shea
Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up. Dean Karnazes
You’ve climbed too many mountains and crossed too many rivers to stop and turn back now. Eleanor Brownn
If you want to run, then run a mile. If you want to experience another life, run a marathon. Emil Zatopek
You thought it would break you in two, but it made you twice as strong. Eleanor Brownn
The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare. Juma Ikangaa
Don’t get disheartened one mile into a marathon. Rasheed Ogunlaru
The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. John Bingham
Where most friends would say, Poor baby, running friends say, You’re being a baby. Where most friends offer gentle encouragement, running friends talk smack. Running buddies celebrate the best, tolerate the worst, and pretend not to notice the embarrassing. They’re a vault for the secrets that we share on the trail, when we’re hungry, hot, and way too tired to be anything but 100 percent real. And when someone asks,Would it be a horrible idea if? the running buddy’s answer is always, Yes. What time? A running buddy sees your limitless potential and will happily act as a mirror until you see it, too. Susan Lacke,
You must not run faster than this or jump higher than that. The human spirit is indomitable. Roger Bannister
Of all the animals that fly, some are like floating flowers butterflies, some are songbirds that are full of gulp swallows, and some are swimming birds that also run marathons ducks. When I compose music to be performed live in an elevator, those are my inspirations. Jarod Kintz
It’s very hard in 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
When push comes to shove, I’m going to figure out some doors need to be pulled to be opened. I like to walk into places like a duck that’s just finished running a marathon. Jarod Kintz
I succeed on my own personal motivation, dedication, and commitment. My mindset is If I’m not out there training, someone else is. Lynn Jennings
This cyberwar will be a continuous marathon war that will only compound and hyper evolve in stealth, sophistication and easy entry due to the accelerated evolution of as a service attack strategies for sale on the dark web. James Scott
The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart. Bill Bowerman
Life is a craft no one masters. But we will see an abundance of amazing colors, beautiful views and stunning insights along the way. Ricky Maye
Get going walk if you have to but finish the damned race. Ron Hill
We’re not born running up mountains. Most of us don’t even figure out we’re capable of such a feat until later in life. Along the way, we make a lot of mistakes. Some of us even hit rock bottom. And then we pick ourselves up, dust off the dirt, and start climbing sometimes literally. Running is a transformative experience in mind, body and spirit for so many. It helps us face inner demons and shush the naysayers especially when those naysayers are ourselves. Susan Lacke
Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard to find alloy called guts. Dan Gable
Put one foot in front of the other, no matter what. Enjoy the hilltop views, have courage in the valleys, pay attention to the bends in the road, cry when you have to, laugh when you can, be helpful to others, share your joys as well as your sorrows, and remember that God created you for a purpose. Eleanor Brownn
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
Anyone can star a marathon. Only the strongest will finish it, even after they fall. Gena Showalter
For an athlete, the biggest pressure comes from within. You know what you want to do and what you’re capable of. Paula Radcliffe
My body is sore. I’m not very good at the sport called Sleeping. Like a waddling duck is to a marathon runner, so I am to a kitten. I need to practice more, maybe multiple times a day. Jarod Kintz
If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you could do it. Priscilla Welsh
Have you ever seen how fast ducks can waddle when chased? If I were to ever run a marathon, I’d model my pace on their stride and rhythm. Jarod Kintz
Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible. Doug Larson
What’s the difference between running shoes and dancing shoes? Nothing, if you find a song that’s 26.2 miles long. Jarod Kintz
Confidence is not some nonphysical quality snatched from the spiritual dimension and installed in the mind. It is the feeling that arises when the body’s knowledge of itself is in harmony with a person’s dreams. Matt Fitzgerald
Building something that matters is a marathon, not a sprint. Dragos Bratasanu
Out on the roads, there is fitness and self discovery and the persons we were destined to be. George Sheehan
The understanding of the universe is equivalent to running a marathon. By the time humanity reaches extinction, we would have not even crossed the first few meters. Rajesh
I cannot live without it now. When you have such a good workout, it clears everything up mentally, physically, and you just have a better day. Minka Kell
As runners, we tend to think in exchanges and zero sum games: If I finish this race, I get a medal. If I run 10 miles today, I’ll have earned this burger. I have to hit these splits, otherwise, I failed. But sometimes, the things we get out of a run are far more abstract than a piece of tin to wear around our neck or a set of numbers on a stopwatch. A run can take us to places and people we would otherwise never have the opportunity to encounter. Susan Lacke
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle
It can be hard, out there during a tough race or long run gone wrong, to remember that we choose these mental and physical tests. We are fortunate to experience these events. Rob Steger
The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. Confucius
There is no finish like the one you questioned. Rob Steger
The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life. George Sheehan
The pain of running relieves the pain of living. Jacqueline Simon Gunn
A lot of people run a race to see who’s the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts. Steve Prefontaine
On the other side of that line was freedom the kind of freedom that can never be taken away from you. It was freedom from our self imposed limitations. Although through our training we have grown to believe that running 52 consecutive miles was possible, none of us really believed in our heart of hearts that it was probable. As individuals, each of us struggled with their own fear and self doubt. But the moment we cross that finish line, we have given ourselves the gift of freedom from our fears, our self doubt, and our self imposed limitations. Hal Elrod
All you need is the courage to believe in yourself and put one foot in front of the other. Kathrine Switzer
No drugs here, no manipulation of neurotransmitters that leaves our worldly problems unattended. And no talking cures because explicit insight is not needed. All that is required is courage the courage to encounter discomfort and stay with it long enough to be changed by it, strengthened. Jason Dias
The week before the marathon, sleep well. If normally you get by with five hours but require seven, make sure you get seven every night. The sleep you get the week leading up to the marathon is more important than the night before. The night before, you probably won’t sleep well due to anxiety, excitement and anticipation. Gina Greenlee
It could all end tomorrow, so enjoy what you have and never take it for granted. And never forget to take an easy run for yourself once in a while and just remember why you love to run. Dathan Ritzenhein
In the long run most short cuts are flawed especially on journeys to so called success. Rasheed Ogunlaru
Ask yourself Can I give more? The answer is usually Yes. Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner
Small steps add up to complete big journeys. Matshona Dhliwayo
When you recognize that failing doesn’t make you a failure, you give yourself permission to try all sorts of things. Lauren Fleshman
Body follows mind. If the mind compares itself to others this could lead to overtraining. Tune out what other runners do and how fast they run. Tune in, instead, to how your body wants to increase speed and distance. Gina Greenlee
Never underestimate the power that one good workout can have on your mind. Keeping the dream alive is half the battle. Kara Goucher
Listening to your body does not imply a lack of grit but a willingness to honor true physical limits. Kenyan runners have a reputation for listening to their bodies but certainly do not take it easy on themselves; they are among the world’s most gifted and accomplished athletes. Gina Greenlee
Run hard when it’s hard to run. Pavvo
Mind sees world from various perspectives when body does long distance running. Tumpal Sihombing
Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up. Amby Burfoot
That was the funny thing. What happened to John would pass for his classmates, but for John it was a long challenging road ahead of him. Who knew where he would be sent, maybe a juvenile detention center? He might keep in touch with a few friends if his parents let him, but he would never return to Wakefield High. His peers had no clue the journey ahead of him, that his life was changed forever. And they had no idea what lay ahead for Lilly. No one knew she had been given a task by the Archangels to fight a war against pure evil. They had no idea that Lilly would spend most of her free time not training for a marathon, but training to kill demons. John and Lilly were not all too different. Ellie Elisabeth
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. Lance Armstrong
Remember, it’s the pace that kills, never the distance. Bill Jones
Running has given me the courage to start, the determination to keep trying, and the childlike spirit to have fun along the way. Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running. Julie Isphording
You wouldn’t train for a marathon then give up a mile before the finish line. Same goes with your life dreams. Dawn Gluskin
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
In the marathon of life, there is no finish line. Bill Courtney
Most runners hope running will always be a part of their lives. I’ll be happy if running and I can grow old together. Haruki Murakami
It had been said that the marathon doesn’t really begin until mile twenty. I say mile twenty six would be more appropriate. The final two tenths of a mile is filled with emotion. No matter how desperately you’re struggling at this point, thoughts typically drift away from the immediate task at hand ie, survival to broader feelings. Dean Karnazes
You are truly your own hero in running. It is up to you to have the responsibility and self discipline to get the job done. Adam Goucher
Like all living things, you were created for unlimited growth and possibilities. Keep growing. Keep changing. Be everything you were meant to be. Eleanor Brownn
If you don’t think you were born to run you’re not only denying history. You’re denying who you are. Christopher McDougall
When you undertake a daunting task, an adventure bigger than you ever thought you’d take on, you don’t get to know what challenges the universe will present to you on the way. You can decide where you will go and how much money you’ll spend and what your activities will be, but there will always be something unexpected, a hurdle of sorts, that offers you an opportunity to learn something about yourself if you take it in stride. Cami Ostman
Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine. John Trautmann
In an era when man can no longer dash out of his cave and slay a mammoth, he simply slips on his Lycra and goes for a run. Phil Hewitt
If you train your mind for running, everything else will be easy. Amby Burfoot
I was on a path, and I became determined to give it everything I had no matter what. Eleanor Brownn
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
Opportunity to suspend disbelief is often why we watch movies. The stories and images touch us and shift perspectives in ways we may not allow in our daily lives. As readily as you check your this isn’t real attitude at the ticket counter when transformers are defending earth against aliens and 21st century vampires frolic by daylight on the big screen of your heart and mind train for, run and celebrate finishing your first marathon. Gina Greenlee
But I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself. Meb Keflezighi
