Motives Matter: Your Running Motivation is in Your Hands

Switching your focus from short-term to long-term motives is essential if you want to take control of your running motivation

You've lost your running motivation.

Chances are, not so long ago, you were running regularly. Motivation came easily, you were enjoying the progress you were making, and you loved that you were doing something good for yourself.

But now, you don't feel driven to run. Time and time again you choose to stay at home instead of going for a run, until you give up completely and your running journey comes to an end. That is, until the next surge of motivation hits in the distant future, when you start the cycle again and wish you had never stopped.

The good news is: extensive scientific research on human behaviour shows that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are scientifically proven reasons why your motivation drops. It's not because you lack willpower; it's because you are using the wrong motivational techniques.

You don't have to wait for motivation to magically appear to be consistent with your running – it's in your control to make it happen.

Understanding Different Types of Motivation

To understand why motivation sometimes fades and other times sticks, it’s essential to recognise the different types of motives you can use.

Not all motives are created equal. Some will help you maintain your running habit over the long haul, while others will fizzle out quickly. Motives exist on a spectrum: from internal motives – where you feel in control and driven by personal reasons – to external motives, which are shaped by outside pressures or rewards.

Research consistently shows that internal motives are much more effective than external motives for long-term motivation. In a recent study, for example, participants were given questionnaires to evaluate their weekly physical activity levels and reasons for exercising. The results revealed a much stronger correlation between using internal motives and increased physical activity compared to more external ones.

For clarity, we’ve broken this spectrum into two categories: Short-Term Motivation and Long-Term Motivation. To sustain your running motivation, you must transition from using short-term to more sustainable long-term motives. 

Let’s take a closer look at these different types of motivation and how they can influence your running journey.

What is Short-Term Motivation?

There are two main groups of motives that can be effective for short-term motivation but aren’t useful for fuelling motivation over the long term: external motives and introjected motives. These motives are based on rewards and negative pressure. Let’s look at each type of short-term motive in more detail.

External Motives: The Quick Fix That Fades Fast

External motives involve a short-term reward that originates from outside of yourself – like social recognition or tangible incentives. In running, external motives often involve running to get a medal or receiving praise from others for how we look. 

Many people start running to improve their appearance, drawing praise from others for the changes. While exercise is widely known to change our bodies in a variety of ways, research reveals that when the main motivation for exercising is to alter your appearance, it can actually harm how you see and feel about your body.

Appearance-driven exercise shifts the focus away from appreciating your overall well-being, instead fostering an unhealthy fixation on external outcomes like weight or shape. This focus can take away from the true benefits of exercise, making it harder to build a healthy and positive relationship with your body.

Additionally, when our main goal is simply to complete an event, it often only provides a temporary boost. While events are exciting in the moment, once the race is finished, the motivation to continue running can fade if we are too dependent on the event as a motive. This loss of purpose leaves many runners without a driving reason to continue, leading them to give up running altogether after they cross the finish line.

Running solely for an external reward makes it difficult to maintain consistency because it shifts the focus away from the enjoyment of running and the many benefits it brings, placing it instead on external outcomes that can feel fleeting or unfulfilling over time.

Introjected Motives: Running to Avoid the Bad Feelings

Introjected motives come from a sense of pressure – often internalised from others. You’re doing something because you feel that you should do it, to avoid feeling guilty or to feel worthy. These are more internalised forms of motives than external motives, but they still don’t come from a place of genuine value.

Introjected motives involve a complex interplay of pressures, where actions are driven by a need to meet perceived expectations or avoid internal discomfort. Rather than fostering a genuine connection to the activity, they often create a cycle of guilt and self-criticism if goals aren’t met. Research shows that this can diminish the mental health benefits typically associated with exercise, turning what should be a positive experience into a source of stress or dissatisfaction.

Although introjected motives can sometimes push individuals to stay active, their effects are shallow and short-lived compared to motives rooted in personal values or enjoyment. When driven by a fear of failure or the need to gain approval, the activity becomes a chore rather than a fulfilling pursuit, ultimately limiting its psychological benefits.

What is Long-Term Motivation?

The most effective motives to fuel a sustainable running journey fall into the categories of identified motives and integrated motives. These motives are personal to you, and you will find them by looking more deeply at your values and identity.

Identified Motives: Finding Personal Value in Running

As you reflect on why you run, you may start to see personal value in running – even if you don’t always love every minute of the run itself. The benefits of running are valuable to you; they help with aspects of your life that matter deeply. These kinds of motives – known as identified motives – are more stable because you understand the benefits of running and see it as worthwhile. 

In exploring what keeps runners motivated, studies show that personal values tied to running play a powerful role.

Runners often highlight benefits like improved mental health and stress relief, seeing these as deeply meaningful reasons to lace up and head out. Those who use these benefits as motives for their running recognise that after a stressful day, running is a way for them to clear their mind and feel more centred. They identify running as a positive outlet, which makes it easier to keep showing up, even when it’s tough. 

Identified motives are powerful because you’re not running due to someone else’s opinion or to avoid negative consequences – you’re doing it because you recognise the value it brings to your life. Even if running is challenging, understanding its benefits and how they can improve your life will help you push through the rough patches.

Integrated Motives: Running as Part of Who You Are

Integrated motives form the deepest level of motivation. You use them when running becomes a part of your identity and aligns with your core values. You run because it’s who you are, and it’s something that fits naturally into your life and sense of self. 

Research shows that when you connect running to your personal identity and values, it becomes even more powerful in sustaining your motivation.

For people who use integrated motives, running aligns with who they are and what they stand for. Studies have found that people who see exercise as part of their identity, such as considering themselves 'a runner', are more likely to stick with it and engage in longer, consistent sessions, even when it’s challenging.

In Atomic Habits – a book that has sold over 15 million copies worldwide – author James Clear highlights how identity plays a pivotal role in building habits. He explains that the most enduring behaviour changes occur when they are tied to your self-image. Instead of focusing solely on outcomes, like running a certain distance, try adopting the mindset of 'I’m the type of person who looks after my physical and mental well-being by exercising regularly.'

This shift in perspective fosters lasting habits because your actions are now aligned with your beliefs about yourself, reinforcing the cycle of motivation and consistency.

Using integrated motives is the most sustainable way to stay motivated because running is no longer a chore or something you feel you have to do. It’s something you want to do because it feels right. It is part of who you are. This kind of motive helps you navigate the challenges and obstacles because running is deeply connected to your values and sense of self.

Moving From Short-Term to Long-Term Motives

If you’ve found yourself losing running motivation, it’s time to shift your focus from external and introjected (short-term) motives to identified and integrated (long-term) ones. Here’s how you can start making that shift.

Reflect on Your ‘Why’

Take a moment to think about why you started running. Was it for an external reason, like changing your appearance or impressing others? Try to dig deeper. What benefits of running really matter to you personally? Maybe it’s the sense of calm it gives you, the connection to nature or the feeling of personal development.

Set Value-Based Goals

Instead of setting goals that focus on external rewards (like completing an event) or pressure (like avoiding guilt), set goals that align with your values. If retaining health to spend more time with family is important to you, set a goal to use running as a way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. If community is a value, look for group runs that help you feel connected.

Reframe Setbacks as Part of the Journey

When running becomes a part of your identity, setbacks like injuries or missed runs are easier to handle. Instead of seeing them as failures, view them as part of the larger journey. You’re a runner – and sometimes that means resting, recovering and getting stronger. You rest to ensure you can fully show up for your next run. Rest allows the benefits of running to continue enriching your life, rather than risking setbacks by rushing back too soon due to external pressures, such as attending an event beyond your current fitness level. 

Celebrate Non-Performance Wins

Instead of just celebrating times, distances or races, celebrate the other ways running enriches your life. Did you run after a long, stressful day and feel better? That’s a win. Did you get outside and enjoy nature? Another win. When you start seeing the value in these non-performance aspects of running, it becomes more integrated into your life.

The Path to Lasting Motivation

If you’ve found yourself losing motivation to run, it might be time to shift your focus from external and introjected motives to identified and integrated ones. The key to long-term motivation is finding a deeper connection to why you run and making it a part of who you are.

Running is more than just a means to an end – it’s an opportunity to connect with yourself, to grow, and to live in alignment with your values. When you find those deeper reasons for running, you’ll find that getting out the door becomes less of a struggle and more of a natural expression of who you are.

So next time you’re lacing up your shoes, ask yourself: Why am I running today? If your answer connects to something meaningful, you’re already on your way to building a lifelong habit.

How The Ultimate Runner’s Planner Can Help You Transition to Long-Term Motivation

Understanding the shift from short-term to long-term motivation is one thing – putting it into practice is another. That’s where The Ultimate Runner’s Planner comes in. Designed as a science-backed guide to building sustainable running motivation, the planner walks you step by step through the process of finding deeper, lasting reasons to run.

Inside, you’ll find structured exercises to help you uncover your personal 'why', strategies to focus on motives that align with your values, and habit-tracking tools that reinforce running as part of your identity.

Whether you’re transitioning from appearance-driven motivation, overcoming setbacks, or striving to be more consistent with your running, The Ultimate Runner’s Planner gives you the framework to stay on track – no matter what.

If you're ready to break the cycle of motivation highs and lows and create a running habit that lasts, The Ultimate Runner’s Planner is your ultimate companion on the journey. Get your copy today and take control of your running motivation.