We joke about the plethora of quotes on social media now, but the truth is the right endurance quotes at the right moment can be exactly what you need to push through.
Running is a mental sport, which means we need to find the things we can tap in to during nearly every long run and especially on race day.
We don’t have to keep going, which means we need to CHOOSE to keep going.
When it’s harder than we imagined.
When it’s asking us to go beyond our limits.
When the miles feel longer than they should….
21 Endurance Quotes
We dig deep in to our minds to find the reasons we want to endure. And no, it’s not just about a finish line.
“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.”— George S. Patton
“Humans are built for endurance, not speed. We’re awful sprinters compared to every other animal. We try to run our races as if they were speed races, but they are not. They’re endurance races. Even a marathon, the way it’s run now, it’s not an endurance contest.” — Christopher McDougall
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Tim Notke
“I think I get addicted to the feelings associated with the end of a long run. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out, and sweat-purged. I love that good ache of the muscles that have done me proud.” — Kristin Armstrong
“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” – Terry Bradshaw
“The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.” – Les Brown
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” — Rikki Rogers
“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” – Gautama Buddha
“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mahatma Gandhi
I get asked a lot about how to increase endurance and while some of it is really about training, I believe a great deal of what it requires is a change in our mindset.
Running constantly asks us to believe that we can do just a little bit more than we previously thought.
Mindset isn’t often listed in training plans, but really it should be.
“What seems hard now will one day be your warm-up.”— Unknown
That endurance fitness quote is one of my long time favorites because it’s so true! I remember being overwhelmed when I finally ran a mile straight without pain…and now yup that’s my warm up!
Perseverance Quotes
There’s a moment on any long run and a whole lot of them during races when we have to look beyond what our legs can do to what our mind says. And feeding it with the right quote about endurance might be the final piece you need to enjoy the big day!
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Running is nothing more than a series of arguments between the part of your brain that wants to stop and the part that wants to keep going.”— Unknown
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth
“It’s not the will to win that matters — everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant
“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich
“Anyone can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, now that is true strength.”– Chris Bradford
“The world is a huge place. How will you know where you fit in unless you explore beyond your comfort zone?” – Ernest Shackleton
“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael Phelps
“Your mind is the most incredible gift! A powerful mind is a reserve for all that is physical in stamina.” – James C. Eklund
“There always comes, I think, a sort of peak in suffering at which either you win over your pain or your pain wins over you, according as to whether you can, or cannot, call up that extra ounce of endurance that helps you to break through the circle of yourself and do the hitherto impossible.” – Elizabeth George
“Ultrarunning won’t save the world, but it’s a practice of the kinds of skills and outlooks that could ultimately help change the world’s course and will almost certainly change yours.” – From book The Longest Run
That last endurance quote speaks to me deeply because running isn’t just about the miles, right?
It’s about how running helps to change our lives!
Looking for more motivation?
Quotes are big deal around here and I’ve shared a few others you might like:
- Running mantras to keep you going
- Best friend quotes – for your running buddies
- Funny running quotes – remembering it’s not so serious
- Marathon quotes to help find that next level
- Running motivation quotes no matter the distance
I wish there was a short cut to developing our endurance so we could easily got jump in to a race when they pop up…but there isn’t. It’s about being willing to put in the work and find ways to push through discomfort.
Here’s to find the words that spark a fire in your running soul!
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