The 10 best pieces of running advice you’ll ever receive
Simple but effective running advice from some of the best in the business

Running is a pretty straightforward sport. As something you can do right from your front door, just placing one foot in front of the other, it should be exercise in its purest form. However, there’s a lot of misinformation out there and sometimes runners can be inundated with poor advice. We’ve chronicled some of the worst advice runners have received here. Now, we’d like to look at the best advice that runners have received, so you can trade in the bad ideas you’ve been presented with for some better ones.
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For when you’re lacking motivation:
When you don’t feel like running, tell yourself to just go for five minutes. Guaranteed it won’t be just five minutes.
For longevity:
“Listen to your body. There are things I wish I hadn’t pushed through as a younger runner.” – Kate Van Buskirk
For when things are going well:
My past two weeks has been filled with so many heavy sighs. Yesterday a scheduled medium long run unconsciously stretched into a solid long run… and damn it felt good. Sometimes I forget how therapeutic the simple act of running can be.#milexmile
— des_linden (@des_linden) March 12, 2020
Really soak it in when everything is clicking. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.
For achieving longterm success:
“Consistency is the key to success. It sounds simple but it’s so true.” – Reid Coolsaet
For high schoolers:
I'm always encouraged when a young kid struggles to hold fitness to run consistently fast miles. Means they are undertrained and have lots of room for building strength as they enter college. pic.twitter.com/tBQcnmS6YG
— Nick Willis (@nickwillis) September 14, 2020
When you’re young, less is more.
For the tough days:
You know when you are floating off the ground effortlessly, and everything seems in sync, and you’re in the flow state and can’t seem to slow down or be stopped on a run?
Yeah well today’s long run was the complete opposite of that feeling. Grind on my friends!
— Stephanie Bruce (@Steph_Rothstein) August 1, 2020
Have a long memory for your good workouts and a short memory for your bad ones.

For when you need to take it easy:
Leave the GPS watch at home and run by feel sometimes. A day without Strava might reduce the temptation to run too quickly. If Trevor Hofbauer can run qualify for the marathon without a watch, you can run an off day without one, too.
For before race day:
“Race for the love of it and don’t stress about the times. They will come.” – Sasha Gollish
For when you’re impatient:
Note to self: You can’t force fitness. Stay patient.
— des_linden (@des_linden) July 17, 2020
“You can’t force fitness.” – Des Linden
For female runners:
“If you aren’t getting a regular period as a female athlete, I urge you to seek help, to talk to teammates and coaches, to make necessary adjustments to fuelling and training.” – Elise Cranny