“Every Mile is a Gift”: Why Running Mantras Matter

I enjoy thinking about different running mantras. Most runners have at least one go-to mantra, whether they’re aware of it or not. As someone who enjoys running and training for marathons, what happens in my head matters almost as much as my physical training. It’s true for all types of distances, but I’ve found that your mental game matters the most the longer the distance. Running a marathon requires a lot of physical strength and stamina, but it also requires an incredible psychological strength and vigor. Being a negative Nancy is a real weakness for someone doing something hard, like running a marathon. One great thing about marathon training (among other things) is that you get lots of opportunities to practice your mental game, particularly on those really long runs. You’ll learn quite a bit about your true mental strength at mile 18 of a 20 mile training run. You go through the ups and downs on a long run, and the things you tell yourself can make or break the experience, and your performance. In those difficult moments on a run, you want to have some easy tools that you can pull out of your toolbox without a ton of effort. Having some solid mantras is a solid practice, and the power of those mantras can make a mind-blowing difference in those moments you need it the most. 

I recently learned that Amby Burfoot, renowned marathoner and winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon has a fantastic running mantra: “Every mile is a gift.” I love that. Most mantras focus on positive thinking, pushing your body, and inspirational sentiments. The mantra “Every mile is a gift.” has a more grateful spin, which I really like. It’s applicable for a race situation or a tedious 6 mile easy run on a Wednesday. It brings you back to the place of just being grateful that you’re running at all. I can have the bad habit of taking runs for granted, which is a bad posture. It’s great to push yourself, to believe in yourself, and to find inspiration. For me, gratitude for each mile checks all of those boxes, and it reorients you if you’re feeling out of sorts or are in need of some good perspective. Those final miles of a marathon (or a half marathon) can feel painful. Each one of those miles may not FEEL like a gift. But if you remind yourself that each grueling mile really IS a gift, that you’re lucky to just be running a race, to be healthy and on the cusp of finishing a marathon, I think it changes how we experience the pain. 

The mind is a powerful, sometimes mysterious thing. Running has helped me understand my own mind better, and running has motivated me to think more creatively about the things I tell myself, while I’m running and in moments that I’m not running. What we tell ourselves matters all the time, whether we are running or working or playing or resting. 

What running mantras have helped you or inspired you during a race or a workout? How do mantras affect how you feel about your running? Feel free to share!