Being a good runner requires more than a strong body; it also involves a strong mind.
Running mantras are a tool that any runner can use to help them persevere when the going gets tough.
With running, you can almost always go further, or faster, or steeper, than you think. It is often your mind that gives up before your body does.
Personally, I have cut many runs short because I don’t think I can keep going at the time. However, I have never been physically unable to keep going. It has just been my mind playing tricks on me, for the most part.
A running mantra is a word or phrase that, when repeated, helps you to get through the hard times of a race or a workout. They can help you to push through those mental limits that we all have and finish that tough speed workout or race you are tackling.
Today, I want to share some of the best running mantras out there to pump up your mental strength.
What Is A Running Mantra?
Stoicism, Buddhism, and Taoism all teach their followers to repeat specific chants—or mantras—to steady the mind. ‘Mantra’ is a Sanskrit word that literally translates to “instrument for thinking.”
A mantra is a vehicle for the mind. It gives your mind something to focus on, and it gives it a break from your thoughts.
Sometimes, when you run, thinking can be your worst enemy: ‘ My legs are sore,’ ‘I can’t do this,’ ‘This hill is too steep,’ ‘It’s too hot,’ ‘It’s too cold,’… you get the picture.
Your brain is constantly coming up with stories about how things are.
Sometimes, the stories you tell yourself are right- maybe it really is hot.
But sometimes, the stories are self-sabotaging. ‘I can’t do this’, or ‘I am weak’.
Whether the stories are true or not, they are often not great reasons to stop running.
In come the running mantras!
Running mantras can be used to dial down the noise of the thinking brain, instead offering a powerful motivational hook that can pull you through the tough times.
Related resource: Visualization for Runners Guide
What Are The Best Running Mantras?
The best running or race day mantras are simple, repetitive, and actionable.
Elite Athlete’s Favorite Running Mantras
#1: “Relentless”
—Bill Rodgers, four times Boston Marathon winner
#2: “Calm, calm, calm. Relax, relax, relax.”
—Desiree Linden, United States marathon runner
Linden says that she uses this mantra on race day or when the marathon training run gets tough. But she also applies this mantra to her life outside of running. In high-stress or tense situations, Linden repeats this mantra to herself.
#3: “Focus, focus, focus”
—Rob Krar, ultramarathon runner and endurance athlete
“I don’t set out with a mantra in mind; they tend to come to me in the moment when I need them most. Last year [in Colorado], at Leadville, when my knee was feeling weak and unstable—it was only about 80 percent recovered from surgery—it was as simple as repeating this, knowing every step could be my last if I let myself daydream.”
#4: “You Get to Do This”
—Amelia Boone, obstacle racer and endurance athlete
“I come back to this mantra when I’m dealing with stress, especially prior to or following races.”
#5: “Mood Follows Action”
—Rich Roll, ultramarathon runner, endurance athlete, and podcast host
“Applicable in sport and life. Rather than waiting to ‘feel like’ doing something, the surest way to shift out of your discomfort or resistance is to lean into action. It’s in the doing that we alter our perspective and emotional state—not the other way around.”
#6: “This Too Shall Pass”
—Sarah True, Olympian and professional triathlete
“I use it both in sport and in life when I’m hurting as a reminder that the pain is temporary. Whether it’s during a period of intentional overreaching in my training, an episode of depression, or feelings of anxiety when I’m in a crowded, confined space, it’s a reminder that the uncomfortable feelings will fade away with time.”
The Best Everyday Running Mantras
#7: “Onwards”
Which direction do you want to move in? Onwards.
#8: “I can do it.”
This one’s simple. But its simplicity means it works quite well to counteract that voice in your head that tells you you can’t do it.
#9: “Strong, confident, relaxed.”
Lean into the run with this mantra and become that strong, confident, and relaxed runner.
#10: “I am a runner.”
Give yourself some validation with this one. It is easy to compare yourself to other runners, but just remember that their prowess does not deny yours.
The Best Mantras For Low Motivation Days
What are some motivational mantras for long-distance running?
Motivation comes and goes; these mantras can act as your running coach, helping you build mental toughness.
#11: “The biggest privilege is being able to choose your struggles.”
Sometimes, you need a reminder that you chose to do this. Being able to get outside and move your body is something to be grateful for.
#12: “Anything is better than nothing.”
Going out for a 3K jog is better than not going out at all. You’ll feel better for it, and who knows, maybe you’ll decide to keep running.
#13: “Any job worth doing is worth doing badly.”
Often true in life, often true in running. Botching your speed session, doing half the amount of reps, and doing the ones that you did do very slowly, is better than not doing any reps at all.
#14: “Just finish.”
Some days are just not for going fast. Sometimes, setting yourself the simple goal of just finishing is enough.
The Best Mantras For When Running Gets Tough
What are some powerful mantras to repeat during a tough run?
#15: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
This one is attributed to John F. Kennedy. If you ever want to feel like a warrior, try this one out when you start to flag.
#16: “Keep going, Lion” (Keyan Mantra)
Want to feel powerful? Unleash your inner beast with this one.
#17: “Up and over.”
Tough times often come in waves, especially in long-distance running. This one can be a good reminder that a slump is like a hill- you’ll get over it. Or if you are trail running, you may actually need to get over that next hill!
#18: “I’m stronger than I think.”
This one summarizes mantras. You can always do more than you think you can. Let this mantra push you further than your limits!
How To Use Running Mantras
- The main point here is to find a mantra that moves you. Make it personal, meaningful, and sure to make you feel something.
- Secondly, you want your chosen one to focus on the state you are trying to achieve, not the struggle you are trying to overcome. For example, if you are feeling weak on your run, use the mantra “I am strong.”
- And importantly, running mantras are powerful and should be used responsibly.
There is little reason to use one when the going is easy when you’re plodding through some slow, easy miles, for example. You don’t want to blunt its power.
Instead, save them for when it gets tough or when it really counts.
Running mantras can be used in a race situation when the mind begins to wonder, and you need to pull it back into focus.
Or when you need to push through a speed session’s final few hard repetitions. Or when you feel like giving up mid-run. Try one out and see if you can change your tune.
The first time you use one, you might feel silly, but there’s only one way to find out if it works!
The Science Behind Why They Work
Mantras have been used for thousands of years, but scientists only recently began to investigate their power. And, as it turns out, mantras are indeed science-backed.
A 2015 study conducted research into how effective mantras actually are. 1Berkovich‐Ohana, A., Wilf, M., Kahana, R., Arieli, A., & Malach, R. (2015). Repetitive speech elicits widespread deactivation in the human cortex: the “ M antra” effect?. Brain and Behavior, 5(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.346
In the study, participants were told to lie down the first time around with no instruction at all. Then, after a few minutes of lying there, they were told to repeat a mantra to themselves.
As they lay there, their brain activity was being measured by a functional MRI machine.
The researchers found that while the participants silently repeated the mantra to themselves, their brain activity in the section of the brain responsible for planning decreased.
When the participants were not instructed to repeat the mantra, this part of their brain recorded normal levels of activity.
But what does this mean?
The study showed that repeating a mantra distracted the wondering mind enough so that it didn’t focus on obsessing and planning. The researchers concluded that this fact accounts for a significant “calming effect”.
Another study found that positive self-talk correlated to improved endurance performance. 2Blanchfield, A. W., Hardy, J., De Morree, H. M., Staiano, W., & Marcora, S. M. (2014). Talking yourself out of exhaustion: the effects of self-talk on endurance performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 46(5), 998–1007. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000184
Yet another study3Barwood, M. J., Corbett, J., Wagstaff, C. R. D., McVeigh, D., & Thelwell, R. C. (2015). Improvement of 10-km Time-Trial Cycling with Motivational Self-Talk Compared with Neutral Self-Talk. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 10(2), 166–171. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2014-0059 found that motivational self-talk reduced the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) in cyclists and increased their endurance.
Mantras play a pivotal role in enhancing mental toughness and endurance for distance runners, whether tackling a half marathon, full marathon, or ultramarathon.
These short phrases serve as affirmations that help you push through tough times during training cycles and on race day.
By focusing on action words and positive affirmations, they encourage runners to dig deep and tap into their inner strength when faced with hard work and negative thoughts.
Whether it’s a favorite mantra or a new one picked up from a podcast or previous post, they act as a reminder to stay mentally strong and run strong from the starting line to the finish line.
Through visualization and repetition, runners can train their minds to believe in themselves and overcome any obstacle. So, next time you hit a tough time in your run, remember: you got this.
Are you still looking for more inspiration? Check out this list of 20 Motivational Quotes:
My favourites –
For bad moments:
“This is just how it feels right now”
For middling moments (think Dory)
“ just keep running, just keep running”
For good moments
“Just this. Just this.”
Ben, these are awesome! Thanks for sharing!