The Mental Side of Running a Race

I often get asked what I think about during a long race and how much the mental part actually matters in running. From my experience — the longer and harder the race, the more crucial the mental aspect becomes.

When you run long enough, there’s almost always a point where you “hit the wall” — when your body screams to stop, when your legs feel like lead, and your lungs are on fire. That’s when the physical part of you has reached its limit, and the mental part must take over. The mind and body are deeply connected, but when the body starts to fail, your mindset can become your strongest muscle.

Confidence Built on Preparation

Before race day, you have to step onto that start line with genuine belief in yourself — full mental confidence that you’ll finish or reach your goal. And that confidence only comes from one thing: knowing you’ve prepared properly.

You can tell others how confident you are, but you can’t lie to yourself. You know if you’ve done the work or not. That’s why humility and honesty in training matter — but once the race starts, flip the switch. See yourself as the toughest person out there. Whether your goal is to break 3 hours or just cross the finish line, act like you belong at the front. That mindset will carry you through the toughest kilometers.

Train Uncomfortable

One of the most powerful ways to build mental strength is to train in discomfort. That means doing things you don’t want to do — running when the weather is miserable, or getting up at dawn to train when your bed feels irresistible.I have also posted about that here

By doing that, you’re not just training your body — you’re training your mind to stay calm under pressure. Then, when things go wrong during a race — it starts raining, it’s hotter than expected, or you cramp up — you’ve already been there before. You’ve built up resilience.

When you’ve done that kind of training, you can think during a tough race:

“I’ve trained in worse. I’ve done things most runners here wouldn’t. I’m built for this.”

That mindset doesn’t come from arrogance — it comes from earned confidence.

My Marathon Experience

During my first real marathon last summer, I truly understood how much the mind can influence performance. It was the end of May, 28–29°C, no clouds — pure heat. Everything felt great until around the 28 km mark, when my chest suddenly felt extremely heavy. A fun side note is that I got interviewed by a major swedish newspaper at this moment, watch here at 0:58 and 2:31!

It felt like when you’ve drunk too much water, but I hadn’t — which, as I learned the hard way, was a big mistake. I started cramping badly, and for the first time, I had to walk sections of the race. I used to think walking was embarrassing, but it’s not. Sometimes, it’s just what your body needs.

I managed to finish at 3:47, missing my goal of 3:30, but honestly, I was incredibly proud. Not because of my time — but because I refused to quit. My body was failing, but my mind didn’t.

Later that night, I ended up in an ambulance because of the chest pain (if that ever happens to you — stop immediately and seek help). But still, I learned something I’ll carry forever: when you’re deep in the pain cave, you can always draw strength from the tough situations you’ve already conquered.

When I hit hard moments in future races, I’ll think back to that marathon and remind myself —

“You’ve been through worse. You’ll get through this too.”

My Best Tips for Mental Preparation

• 🏋️ Train properly – preparation builds true confidence.

• 🌧️ Train uncomfortable – sometimes do the hard or inconvenient sessions.

• 🦁 Be confident on race day – act like a lion; nothing can stop you.

• 🧠 Draw strength from your struggles – remember every tough session you pushed through.

• 💧 Never skip water – especially in heat or races over a half marathon.

• ❤️ Listen to your body – you can run through pain, but not chest pain.

• 🏁 Be proud no matter what – whether you hit your goal or not, you showed up and fought.

Running is not just about physical endurance — it’s about mental durability. The body has limits, but the mind doesn’t. Every race is an opportunity to test that truth — and every finish line proves that your mental strength is often what carries you the final steps. If would encourage you to listen to people like David Goggins, Nick Bare and Cameron Hanes.