Skip to main content

We’re guessing this summer has been as much of an emotional roller coast for you as to the DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay team. Each one of us on the team is trying to deal with the anxiety, stress, or other mixed feelings this pandemic has caused. The only thing that has kept us sane is going out for our runs. An oasis from all the stress. On one of these runs through the meadow, an idea popped in our minds: Why not share some inspirational running quotes to motivate you to go for a run!

“A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding.” – Steve Prefontaine

DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay Race Medallion

Photo by: Local Freshies

How could we have a list of inspirational running quotes without having the most influential American runner on it — Steve Prefontaine. It wasn’t just that he was good. It’s because he was so American. Brash, young, and charismatic, he was the opposite of most distance runners at that time. To this day, Prefontaine’s times and records are still competitive even though he wasn’t even in his prime before he passed away.

“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

Photo by: First Tracks Productions

If you rewind it back a bit more, you’ll find a man that is arguably one of the GREATEST athletes ever in track and field. Why? Well, Adolf Hitler saw the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a chance to show Aryan supremacy. Jesse didn’t get the memo. Rather, he DESTROYED the competition by winning four gold medals (the 100 meter, the long jump, the 200 meter and the 400-meter relay) and broke two Olympic records along the way.

“There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighborhoods you can’t live in, schools you can’t get into. But the roads are always open.” – NIKE

Nike has always been part of running culture since its inception. So, even if you aren’t a runner that wears their shoes, you still can enjoy their marketing. Simply put: they get it. We don’t need an excuse to go running. We love it because it’s always there. Here’s another great example:

In Nike’s words, “What do you run for?” We hope that list includes the 2021 Lake Tahoe Marathon.