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Their are pros and cons to bringing some ink into your running life. Excluding the idea that you might not be a tattoo person at all, the one downside may be that if you are heavily tattooed it could actually affect your running performance. One study from 2017 found that, on average, the sweat rate of tattooed skin was about half that of plain skin. Plus, getting a tattoo likely requires a little bit of recovery time, so timing is important.
But if you’re one to get inked up, the positives are definitely there. Need some inspiration on a long, arduous training run? Looking at an inspirational message tattooed on the inside of your wrist could pick you up a bit. Not sure why you’re waking up at the Grant Fisher Wants To Be The Best I for another training run? That tattoo on your arm of the Boston qualifying time that you hit when you were in your best running shape might do the trick to move you out of bed.
So yes, we fully support all forms of running tattoos, whether they be motivational, artsy, or just plain interesting.
In the past we’ve asked readers to submit running-inspired tattoos, and we are always blown away by the response. (Feel free to add your tattoo in the comments on this page.) Inspirational, touching, funny, and beautiful, the submissions have been as varied and awesome as the runners who wear them.
Thanks to all who submitted. In no particular order, here are 47 running tattoos and the stories that inspired them
Justine Edwards
"I love running and baking—especially cupcakes—so I decided to combine them into one tattoo. I treated myself to the ink after turning 40 and completing a half marathon. The cupcakes get progressively larger, representing the distances I’ve conquered. The farther I run, the more cake I can have!"
Ryan Jaskiewicz
"The idea just popped into my head as a way to memorialize the breaking of my marathon PRs. I got the first one [with two finish times] in 2009 after running a Boston qualifier and huge personal best. Each tattoo helps fuel me as I continue to grind for faster times."
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"I told the tattoo artist that I run listening to music and asked him to combine these two passions of mine in the design. Whenever I look at it, I remember the day I finished my first 10K—that feeling of accomplishment and how running really can change your life."
Christopher McBride
"Running gives me a feeling that I never experienced before I started in 2011. This tattoo represents the chemical compound of that feeling—the ‘runner’s high.’ It’s more than ink on my arm: It reminds me that no matter the obstacle, my body will succeed."
Edward Nicosia
"The three runners over the watercolor background are styled after a Grecian urn. I got this because running has been a constant in my life. No matter what’s going on, it’s always there to center me."
Guadalupe Purple Flint
"The Best Running Tattoos."
Nicole Andergard
"I may not be fast, but I hope I will forever run."
Serena Atkins
"These are my running tattoos, the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race! A fellow runner said to me, 'Now that you got the tattoo, that means you can't ever stop running!" and I replied, "That's the plan!'"
Angela Auzston
"NF stands for neurofibromatosis. I run for my daughter who was diagnosed with this disorder, which causes tumors to grow in and on the body, at 3 months. I've run 11 marathons, three half-Ironmans, and will complete my first full Ironman this month. If she can go through everything she has, then I can keep doing my part!"
Tiffany Bajis
"This piece says, 'Run for your life.' I chose the phrase because running has helped me overcome many obstacles in my life, including work related stress, bad relationships, poor friendships, and battling epilepsy.
"It's also a reminder that with the combination of running and a healthy lifestyle in food choices (I'm vegan), you feel like you can run forever!
"lsquo;I Walked for 30 Minutes Every Day for a Month&rsquo!"
Greg Bassett
"The Perfect Playlist for Long Runs."
Jen Beck
"I got this after my 26th marathon, and now up to 32, I add a dot with each additional one completed."
Jamie Benefield
"I got 'miles to go' on the top of my foot after running LA, my second marathon.
"It comes from Robert Frost's poem 'Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.'"
Haleymm
"This tattoo represent the geographic outline of my first marathon, Big Sur International. I have yet to get a dot underneath the outline representing each marathon I've run... soon to come!"
Greg Bras
"This is for my first two full marathons, Napa Valley and San Francisco, and my wife's initials on the finisher's medal since she got me started running. I have now completed twelve full marathons in just over three years with two more scheduled for this year."
TJ Broadbent
"I have a Chocobo on my leg. Chocobos are seen in the Final Fantasy game series, and are generally used for speed over a long distance. Obviously I am a nerd. I am also a runner, and I still know a lot of people who don't realize that you can be both a nerd and interested in your physical health."
Crystal Beck
"What I Learned Running 3 Miles A Day For 21 Days!"
Andres Castillo
"I started running marathons when my mom got sick with cancer. Now I run in memory of her. I got this tattoo on my left leg as a reminder to always keep going and never give up."
People always ask why I run, so I just had to do it
"This is a picture of my 26.2 tattoo on my ankle. (It's scrolled into a heart so it isn't obvious.) It is right above the foot I injured 2 years ago. I came back and ran a marathon a year later. Reminds me every day that I can do anything!"
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