Quotations to inspire our marathoners

“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.” – Emil Zatopek

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” – Oprah Winfrey

“The marathon can humble you.” – Bill Rogers

“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.” – Roger Bannister

“Anyone can run 20 miles. It’s the next six that count.” – Barry Magee

“To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who’s never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind.”? – Jerome Drayton

“Running is one of the best solutions to a clear mind.” – Sasha Azevedo

“The marathon’s about being in contention over the last 10K. That’s when it’s about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what’s left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon.” – Rob de Castella

“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”? – Jesse Owens

“I’m never going to run this again.” -?Grete Waitz after winning her first of nine New York City marathons

“A marathon is like life with its ups and downs, but once you’ve done it you feel that you can do anything.” -?Unknown

“Life is short. Running makes it seem longer.” – ?Baron Hansen

“People ask why I run. I say, “If you have to ask, you will never understand”. It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels.” -?Erin Leonard

“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming.”? – Frank Shorter

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – Unknown

“The will to win means nothing if you haven’t the will to prepare.”? – Juma Ikangaa

“I run because it’s my passion, and not just a sport. Every time I walk out the door, I know why I’m going where I’m going and I’m already focused on that special place where I find my peace and solitude. Running, to me, is more than just a physical exercise… it’s a consistent reward for victory!” – Sasha Azevedo

“The marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama. It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Every jogger can’t dream of being an Olympic champion, but he can dream of finishing a marathon.” – Fred Lebow

“If you feel bad at 10 miles, you’re in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you’re normal. If you don’t feel bad at 26 miles, you’re abnormal.” – Rob de Castella

“Running helps me stay on an even keel and in an optimistic frame of mind.” – Bill Clinton

“I’ve learned that finishing a marathon isn’t just an athletic achievement. It’s a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible.” – John Hanc

“The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals.” – Hal Higdon

“Good things come slow – especially in distance running.” – Bill Dellinger

“The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy…It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.” – Jacqueline Gareau

“Marathoning is just another form of insanity.” – John J. Kelly

“I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart.” – Mike Fanelli