Creating Running Resolutions for a Stronger 2026

The start of a new year always brings a surprising amount of clarity. We have space to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Not in a dramatic “new year, new you” sense, but the year ahead becomes a blank canvas ready for us to choose how we want to show up, what to aim for, and who we want to become.

New Year’s resolutions can be about answering the question: What would make me proud twelve months from now?

And for many runners, the path to that answer begins on the trail.

Why runners set goals at this time of year

I think it’s safe to say that most runners aren’t chasing radical transformation. Most of us are seeking some sort of progression — or gradual improvement. We want to be better than we were. It gets our juices going to see that the effort we put in is making us stronger, steadier on the slopes, or perhaps more capable than we were before. Ok, faster too if we’re honest. But it’s not all about speed and medals. Re-calibrating in January simply gives structure to the intention to be better.

A running resolution doesn’t have to overhaul your entire life to matter. It just needs to push you a little (or a lot), like:

• running more consistently
• training a bit earlier in the day
• adding hills to build strength
• training for our first trail event
• pushing distance gradually
• getting your mojo back after injury or burnout
• doing our first ultra marathon

The specifics are different for each of us, but the underlying motivation is the same: growth feels good. It gives direction to our routines, meaning to our training, and a sense of identity that often extends well beyond the physical act of running.

Noticing our running achievements

Heading into December 31st, there’s space and time to reflect on our running achievements. If you think you didn’t have many, dig a bit deeper — they will be there. From the better lead up to a race that changed how far you could go to the comment from someone that gave you the momentum to keep going (you listened to it, right? It’s an achievement).

The first run after a long break.
The first steady 10k.
The first finish line that once seemed unthinkable.
The first time someone said, “You make this look easy,” even though it wasn’t.

These experiences stick because they do more than measure fitness. They shift how we see ourselves and build self-belief. They create a quiet, internal evidence file that grows over time:

Maybe I can do hard things.
Maybe I’m stronger than I thought.
Maybe I’m capable of more than I’ve let myself believe.

Resolutions work better when they tap into this deeper sense of identity. When the goal isn’t just to hit a number, but to feel like and be the person who can.

For the quiet achievers

Not everyone shouts their goals from the rooftops.

Quiet achievers train before the world wakes up, logging progress no one else will ever know about. The ones who tack on an extra kilometre for no reason except it feels good to push. The ones who don’t need race photos or finish-line fanfare — because the satisfaction comes from proving something privately.

Quiet achievers often avoid resolutions because they don’t want the attention. But the truth is: quiet internal goals can be the most powerful kind.

There can be less performance anxiety stemming from outside pressure and self-doubt when we compare ourselves to other runners.

If you’re this type of runner, the question isn’t “What should I aim for?” but “What am I curious about learning this year?”

The value of meaningful milestones

We often underestimate our progress until something small exposes it — a climb that suddenly feels easier, a distance that no longer intimidates us, or the moment we realise our mind has stopped insisting we can’t possibly run that far.

These milestones matter because they are proof we’re improving.

When creating resolutions for the new year, factor in milestones. A good resolution doesn’t jump from 5k to 100k in 2 months, or from occasional run to daily sessions. It builds from where you are and invites you gently forward.

The most effective goals tend to sit in the space between:

What I know I can do
and
What I slightly doubt but really want to try.

That tension is where confidence grows.

When your growth outpaces your old goals

One thing that experienced runners often tell us: eventually, your progress surprises you.

This is the quiet alchemy of running: the body and mind adapt faster than we expect.

That’s why resolutions don’t need rigid endpoints because growth rarely sticks to a schedule.
Sometimes, you outgrow your original plan because you have become someone who wants more.

How to set a meaningful resolution

Here are four grounded questions that help runners create meaningful, sustainable goals:

1. What do I want to feel more of when I run?

Confidence? Calm? Strength? Adventure?
Let the feeling guide the action.

2. What challenge excites me rather than intimidates me?

That answer is a better starting point than any generic training plan.

3. What can I commit to even when motivation dips?

Consistency beats intensity.
A small, reliable habit will take you further than a bold but unsustainable one.

4. What would future-me thank me for attempting?

This question has a way of cutting through pressure and clarifying purpose.

The year you might surprise yourself

Let this year be about growth and what’s important to you as a trail runner, whether that is sustainable improvement or pure enjoyment while out on the trails.

Maybe in 2026 you’ll complete your longest event yet.
Maybe your happy place means rediscovering joy after a super tough season in 2025.
Maybe it means showing up consistently and seeing where that leads.

Or maybe 2026 leads you to consider challenges that once felt out of reach.

Whatever direction the year takes, the real power of a running resolution is simple:
It gives you a path to keep becoming the person you’re proud of.

And that’s worth committing to in January, and every day after.