Running News Daily

We all know what it is like to become overwhelmed by that anxious feeling on the run. We convince ourselves that we are not able for the distance and something inside us tells us to stop. The easiest thing to do in this situation is give in to the feeling. However, that only gets us as far as the next time these feelings arise and we have to stop again. Instead of fearing these moments and trying to avoid them, we could try to embrace them and accept them.

Accept the inevitable.

How we manage these mid-run setbacks determines how the rest of our run will go. It also impacts our confidence the next time we put on our running shoes. There are ups and downs in running like everything else and the downs pass by reasonably quickly if we just accept their inevitability. Welcoming these mental stumbling blocks may not seem the most appealing thing to do, but if we have a plan in place for how to deal with their arrival, we don’t waste our running energy worrying about the next one, we just get on with the run and handle the blip.

Welcome the feeling.

The first step is to notice the arrival of the feeling of fatigue or negativity. We all experience it differently but the impact is the same. We doubt our ability and are tempted to quit. Decide in advance what you going to do when you next feel this.

Here are the steps I aim to follow when I get the urge to stop:

1. Don’t walk just yet

For a runner who has a goal of “running all the way” stopping to walk is demoralising. There are no rules against walking in a run, but I find that once I stop to walk once I will walk 20 times in a run. I suggest you keep running but slow right down. Shake out the tension from your arms and legs, and imagine yourself running on the spot or indeed on a treadmill. This will calm your breathing and allow you to think more clearly. More often than not the temptation to stop will pass and you will return to your running comfort zone gradually. This slow jog offers us a moment to decide if now is the time to walk, or if indeed we just need a moment of less-intense running to catch our breath.

2. Check in on your posture

When we are feeling down on our run, it shows in our body. From the sidelines we all can recognise a runner who is going through a bad patch. They look deflated. Treat this negative feeling on your run as a message from your body to remind you that you could be making running easier for yourself. Check in with your running posture, notice if your gaze has dropped to the ground, pop on your fake smile and imagine the person in front of you is pulling you along by a string. Being pulled along rather than having to push ourselves along is surely an easier way to travel. After a few moments of imagining a more comfortable run, you will feel lighter, relaxed and positive.

3. The power of distraction

While, in theory, we all should be focused on our running form throughout, there can come a point where distracting ourselves from the run is just what we need to get over the hurdle. For some runners this can mean turning on their favourite song or indeed signing themselves. I’m a big fan of the running metronome to keep my feet ticking over quickly. For others simply playing counting games or trying to remember a famous person’s name who starts with every letter of the alphabet can do the trick. Find your game of choice and start playing it when you feel like you need to stop thinking about running.

4. Bribe yourself

Carry a stash of emergency goodies that you can refuel with when you hit these slumps. A little bag of sweets can mentally and physically give you a little lift and set you back on the right path. Accept it will take a little time for the sugar rush to kick in, but knowing that is an energy lift coming is enough for many of us to keep on going. A little bribery can go a long way for a mentally tired runner. Allow yourself another treat when you get to the next mile marker and don’t look beyond that next milestone. Keep your head in the mile you are in.

5. Remember why

Having a little reminder of why running is important to us is valuable when negative thoughts abound. You might have a running mantra you can repeat to shift your mindset to a more positive place. If that doesn’t work for you, many runners gain more from visual motivation. They draw little doodles or motivational quotes on their hands which remind them of the people who are counting on them or those who have helped them get this far. If you can’t have a supporter on the sidelines, this is the next best thing to having real-life cheerleaders.

6. Set a step limit

If you still feel like stopping after all of the above and decide that walking is what you need, then go for it. There is absolutely no shame in walking, but you do need to set a few rules. The longer you walk, the harder it is to get back running. Setting a limit to the distance you can walk is a great way of giving yourself a controlled break. In long distance runs, I allow myself 100 steps and then get myself back running again very slowly. I may have multiple mini walks like this as I know if I walk longer than a minute or so I’ll convince myself to stay walking for much longer.

You are not alone.

We can get so caught up in our own run that it’s very easy to forget that everyone else on the road also experiences these mid-run setbacks. We all have to manage these running demons and they catch us all when we might be least expecting them. The best runners just know how to recognize these moments arriving and have plans in place to help accept these as part of the running journey.

Most Olympic marathoners spend their youth focused on running. They join track clubs, compete in national championships, and pursue the sport from an early age.

Julia Mayer’s journey was very different.

Today, Mayer is Austria’s marathon record holder, a multiple national record holder on the roads, and an Olympian. Yet for much of her athletic life, running was not her primary sport.

For 16 years, she played soccer.

Then she discovered something that would change her life.

“I noticed that I was really fast in the fun runs and that it was really, really fun,” Mayer said when reflecting on her transition from soccer to distance running.

What began as curiosity quickly became a passion. She eventually made the bold decision to leave soccer behind and focus entirely on running. It was a move that surprised many people around her, but Mayer believed she had found her true athletic calling.

The decision proved to be the right one.

Within a few years, Mayer developed into one of Europe’s top marathon runners. Her steady improvement carried her from local races to the international stage, where she began rewriting Austria’s record books.

She now holds Austrian records in the marathon, half marathon, and road 10K. Her marathon best of 2:26:08 established her as the fastest female marathoner in Austrian history. Her performances in the half marathon and 10K have further cemented her place among the country’s all-time great distance runners.

Her rise culminated with qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Competing in the Olympic marathon represented the realization of a dream. On one of the most challenging marathon courses ever used for the Olympics, Mayer ran courageously against the strongest field in the world and finished 55th in her Olympic debut.

Behind the scenes, success has come through extraordinary dedication. During marathon preparation, Mayer trains twice a day and covers approximately 200 kilometers, or 124 miles, each week. The workload demands discipline, patience, and a deep commitment to continuous improvement. 

What makes her story especially inspiring is not simply the records or the Olympic appearance.

It is the fact that she found her greatest talent later than many elite runners.

In a sport where athletes are often identified at a young age, Mayer’s journey serves as a reminder that potential does not always reveal itself early. Sometimes it takes years of experience, a willingness to try something new, and the courage to follow a different path. 

The former soccer player who once chased a ball across a field is now chasing history on the roads of Europe.

And according to those closest to her, her best performances may still be ahead.

For runners of every age and ability, Julia Mayer’s story delivers a powerful lesson: it is never too late to discover what you are capable of.

From soccer player to Olympian, her journey proves that remarkable achievements can begin when least expected.

Megan Keith produced the performance of her career in Oslo on Thursday night, shattering one of Scotland’s longest-standing distance running records and cementing her place among Britain’s greatest female 3000m runners.

The 24-year-old clocked a sensational 8:28.35 over 3000m, breaking the Scottish outdoor record that had stood for nearly four decades. In doing so, Keith eclipsed the previous mark of 8:29.02, set by Scottish legend Yvonne Murray back in 1988, ending a record reign that had lasted 38 years.

Keith’s breakthrough run was more than just a national record. The performance also propelled her to third on the UK outdoor all-time list, placing her behind only two of Britain’s most celebrated distance runners — Paula Radcliffe, who leads the rankings with 8:22.20, and Laura Weightman, whose 8:26.07 remains the second-fastest outdoor mark by a British woman.

The significance of Keith’s achievement is amplified by the calibre of athletes she now joins in the record books. For decades, Murray’s mark stood as one of Scottish athletics’ most untouchable records, surviving generations of elite competitors. Keith has now succeeded where many outstanding runners have fallen short, announcing herself as one of the leading distance talents in British athletics.

Her time also compares favourably with the best performances produced indoors. Olympic medallist Laura Muir ran 8:26.41 indoors in Karlsruhe in 2017, underlining just how exceptional Keith’s outdoor effort in Oslo truly was.

The run continues a remarkable rise for the Scottish star, whose progression over recent seasons has transformed her from a promising prospect into a genuine force on the international stage. Running with confidence and composure against elite competition, Keith demonstrated both the speed and endurance required to challenge the very best in Europe and beyond.

With the World Championship season gathering momentum, Keith’s record-breaking display sends a powerful message. Not only has she etched her name into Scottish athletics history, but she has also established herself as a serious contender in one of the sport’s most competitive events.

In Oslo, Megan Keith did far more than break a record. She ended a 38-year wait, climbed into the upper echelon of British distance running, and delivered a performance that may prove to be a defining moment in her career.

British middle-distance talent Phoebe Gill took another significant step forward in her return to top form, producing a determined victory over 800 metres at the Meeting de Marseille in France on Wednesday.

Competing in challenging, wind-affected conditions, the 19-year-old demonstrated both resilience and composure as she held off a late charge from Switzerland's Veronica Vancardo to secure the win in 2:00.81. Vancardo finished just three hundredths of a second behind in 2:00.84, underlining the fiercely contested nature of the race.

While the margin of victory was narrow, the result represented another encouraging milestone for Gill as she continues to rebuild momentum following her injury setback. The young Briton showed impressive race awareness and strength in the closing stages, maintaining her advantage despite the difficult conditions that made fast running a challenge throughout the evening.

The Marseille triumph adds to a growing body of evidence that Gill is steadily progressing toward her best form. Earlier in her comeback campaign, she clocked 2:01.50 for 800m in Bydgoszcz before demonstrating her versatility with a strong 4:05.53 performance over 1500 metres at the BMC Grand Prix meeting in Trafford.

Those performances have highlighted not only her improving fitness but also her ability to compete across multiple distances as she carefully builds her season. The Marseille victory now provides further confirmation that the European junior star is moving in the right direction.

Gill emerged as one of Britain's most exciting middle-distance prospects through a series of breakthrough performances as a teenager, earning widespread recognition for her fearless racing style and remarkable maturity. Injury temporarily interrupted that upward trajectory, but her recent results suggest she is steadily rediscovering the form that made her one of the sport's brightest young talents.

With each race, the signs of progress become increasingly evident. Winning in difficult conditions and under pressure from a quality field is often a stronger indicator than a fast time alone, and Gill's latest success demonstrated exactly those qualities.

As the summer season gathers pace, the Marseille victory offers another confidence boost for the British teenager, whose return continues to gain momentum. If her recent progression is any indication, Gill could soon find herself back among the leading names on the European middle-distance circuit. 

The NCAA Track and Field Championships delivered a moment few could have predicted as Ja’Kobe Tharp produced one of the most astonishing performances in the history of sprint hurdling, rewriting the record books in spectacular fashion.

Competing in the opening round of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, the Auburn star stunned the athletics world by clocking an incredible 12.75 seconds, becoming the first athlete ever to break the 12.80-second barrier. In doing so, he eclipsed the long-standing world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012, a mark that had stood as one of the sport’s most revered achievements for more than a decade.

What makes Tharp’s breakthrough even more remarkable is the scale of his improvement. Entering the championships, the defending NCAA and U.S. champion had recorded a season-best of 13.05 seconds. Yet under the brightest spotlight, he unleashed a performance that exceeded every expectation, slicing an extraordinary 0.26 seconds from his personal best in a race that instantly became one of the greatest ever run.

The achievement sent shockwaves throughout the track and field community. While Tharp arrived in Eugene as one of the leading contenders for the NCAA title, few envisioned a performance capable of redefining the limits of the event. Instead, the American hurdler delivered a race for the ages, combining flawless technique, explosive speed, and impeccable rhythm from the first hurdle to the finish line.

The historic run not only secured his place in athletics history but also transformed the outlook of the championship. With the world record now in his possession, Tharp advances to the final as the overwhelming favorite, carrying momentum that could make an already unforgettable weekend even more extraordinary.

For years, the 12.80 barrier appeared untouchable. On a stunning day at the NCAA Championships, Ja’Kobe Tharp proved otherwise, producing the kind of performance that reminds fans why sport remains so unpredictable. In a matter of seconds, he turned a routine qualifying round into a landmark moment that will be remembered for generations.

The world record no one saw coming is now a reality—and Ja’Kobe Tharp is the man who changed history.

A new chapter in middle-distance running may have begun in Oslo after American teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus produced one of the most remarkable performances of the season, narrowly defeating reigning Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in a thrilling men's 800m contest at the Diamond League meeting.

The 17-year-old sensation shocked a world-class field by crossing the finish line first in a race that came down to the smallest of margins. After an intense battle over the final metres, Lutkenhaus held off Wanyonyi by just one hundredth of a second, producing a dramatic finish that left the packed stadium in disbelief.

From the opening lap, the pace was relentless as the leading contenders positioned themselves for a fierce showdown. As the athletes entered the home straight, Wanyonyi appeared poised to unleash his trademark finishing kick. However, Lutkenhaus refused to be intimidated, matching the Olympic champion stride for stride before producing a perfectly timed lean at the line to secure a historic victory.

The result marks a breakthrough moment for the young American, who continues to establish himself as one of the brightest talents in global athletics. Defeating an Olympic champion at a Diamond League event is a feat many athletes spend entire careers pursuing, yet Lutkenhaus achieved it before reaching adulthood.

For Wanyonyi, the narrow defeat does little to diminish his status as one of the world's premier 800m runners. The Kenyan once again demonstrated his exceptional class and competitiveness, pushing the race to a world-class standard and forcing his young rival to deliver the performance of a lifetime.

Beyond the result itself, the race offered a glimpse into what could become one of the sport's most exciting rivalries in the years ahead. With established stars and emerging talents now pushing each other to new heights, the men's 800m continues to evolve into one of athletics' most captivating events.

On a memorable night in Oslo, the spotlight belonged to Cooper Lutkenhaus. At just 17 years old, he stood toe-to-toe with an Olympic champion and emerged victorious, announcing himself to the athletics world in spectacular fashion.