The power of knowing your ‘why’

Your reason for running matters more than you think. TCS Sydney Marathon Head Coach Georgia Weir explains how finding your ‘why’ can carry you through training.

One of the first questions I ask people when they start training for a marathon is simple: what’s your why? It might sound like a small thing but knowing your ‘why’ matters.

Marathon training eventually gets hard. There will be mornings when the alarm goes off and you don’t feel like getting up, runs will test you physically and mentally, and there will be moments where finishing can feel a long way away. When those moments come, your ‘why’ is what carries you forward.

Understanding your journey

When I ran my first marathon back in 2013, my own ‘why’ was very different to what it is today.

At the time, I was a young mum navigating mental health challenges and addiction. Training for a marathon became a way to prove something to myself. I wanted to know that I could commit to something difficult and see it through to the end.

I remember speaking with other runners who were also preparing for their first marathon. Many of them spoke about running for their kids, their families or their communities. When it came to my turn, I remember feeling a little silly saying that my reason was simply me. It felt selfish at the time.

Proving what you are capable of

Looking back now, it wasn’t selfish at all. Sometimes your ‘why’ simply needs to be about taking care of yourself and proving to yourself what you’re capable of.

Through the work I do with Deadly Runners, I’ve had the privilege of coaching hundreds of people and watching them discover their own reasons for running.

Some run to improve their health. Some run to show their children a different path. Others run to represent their community or to challenge themselves in ways they never thought possible.

What never stops inspiring me is the journey people go on to reach the start line. You never really know who might be watching you. Someone might see you show up, keep going and finish something hard, and it might just be the spark that inspires them to start their own journey.

You can make a difference

For many runners, that ‘why’ becomes even more powerful when it’s connected to something bigger than themselves. The TCS Sydney Marathon, presented by ASICS, currently has charity places available, giving people the opportunity to fundraise and run in support of causes that matter to them.

Sometimes the strongest ‘why’ is knowing that every kilometre you run can make a difference for someone else’s life.

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