"It doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham, running speaker and writer
"My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: 'Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. Focus.'"
-Carl Lewis
"When you put yourself on the line in a race and expose yourself to the unknown, you learn things about yourself that are very exciting."
- Doris Brown Heritage, pioneer in women's distance running
"Why race? The need to be tested, perhaps; the need to take risks; and the chance to be number one."
-Dr. George Sheehan
"Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine."
- John Trautmann
"I'm always nervous. If I wasn't nervous, it would be weird. I get the same feeling at all the big races. It's part of the routine, and I accept it. It means I'm there and I'm ready."
- Allyson Felix, Gold and Silver Olympic medalist
"My whole feeling in terms of racing is that you have to be very bold. You sometimes have to be aggressive and gamble."
- Bill Rodgers
"Racing is the fun part; it's the reward of all the hard work."
-Kara Goucher
"Once you're beat mentally, you might as well not even go to the starting line."
-Todd Williams
"For me, races are the celebration of my training."
--Dan Browne, 2007 National Champion in the 5K and 20K
"There is a moment in every race. A moment where you can either quit, fold, or say to yourself, 'I can do this.'"
-Gatorade Ad
"I love controlling a race, chewing up an opponent. Let's get down and dirty. Let's fight it out. It's raw, animalistic, with no one to rely on but yourself. There's no better feeling than that."
-Adam Goucher, Winner, 1999 U.S. Nationals 5K title
"I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it."
-Steve Prefontaine
