How to Make Running a Habit: Your Breakthrough System

Mar 5, 2025

It takes more than motivation to make running a habit. Motivation comes and goes, but a solid system remains even when your motivation fades. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explains: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

A system gives you structure, removes guesswork, and makes running feel like a non-negotiable part of your day. It’s the key to building consistency and transforming running from something you have to do into something you just do.

If you want to make running a habit, this guide will take you through the steps to build a system that works for you – no matter what.

What is a system, and why does it matter?

A system is a set of repeatable actions that make progress inevitable. Unlike motivation, which is unreliable, a system creates a framework for consistency. It reduces decision fatigue and turns running into a regular, automatic part of your routine.

Why is motivation unreliable? I find it is because it is predominantly driven by emotion, how I’m feeling. And, by questioning how I feel, I open the door for procrastination.

A powerful shift I discovered was changing my internal language. Instead of asking ‘Will I run today?’ – which invites negotiation and procrastination – I started asking ‘When will I run today?’ This subtle change transforms the conversation, removes any emotional hesitation and turns running into a non-negotiable part of your day; a habit.

Here’s what a running system might look like in practice:

Prepare in advance. Lay your running gear out in advance. Yes, I know you’ve heard this before. But having everything ready makes it easier to get out the door. I take my kit to work and get changed so I’m ready to run when I get home. Sometimes I run before I commute so I can run in different locations and there’s less traffic. Win-win.
Set a regular time. Decide a non-negotiable time when you’ll run each. If you struggle with this rigidity, have a plan B, like an alternative time of day. A system works best when it follows a consistent schedule, so aim for as fixed a routine as possible. If existing commitments are likely to derail you, select a time for each day. The day acts as a prompt for the time. The key is to remove in-the-moment decisions.
Follow a plan. Use a training plan with weekly runs mapped out so you don’t need to decide what to do each day. I upload my plan into my Garmin and Training Peaks apps so I get prompts to remind me what session I’ve planned, and I just need to select it on my watch. Easy peasy.
Track your progress. Log each run to visualise your progress and keep you motivated. When you hit a rough patch, reviewing your tracker can remind you of your overall progress and help to rebuild your confidence. A one sentence journal format can be good for this. How far you ran, how you felt and what, if anything, you learned or would change. It’s that simple.
Plan for flexibility. Life happens. Build a backup plan like an evening run if it’s raining in the morning (that said, you can’t control the race day rain. Just saying).

A morning runner’s system in action

If, like me, you are a morning runner, your system might look something like this:

Lay out your gear. Look everything out the night before. Seeing it first thing in the morning reinforces the decision you’ve already made to run.
Set your alarm (and put it at the other side of the room) and plan your route. This avoids procrastination and wasting time deciding where to run. You can take this a step further and visualise yourself running the route. The more vivid and sensory your visualisation, the more your brain will be primed to follow through.
Track your progress. Use an app like Strava to log your runs and see your consistency build over the week. This can be a powerful motivator.
Celebrate. Plan something you will do at the end of your run to celebrate – anything from a fist pump to a mug of coffee to a luxurious bath. Whatever feels like a celebration to you. You’ve earned it.

Why a system works

A system removes the hardest part: deciding to run. You don’t have to negotiate with yourself each day, because the decision has already been made. All you need to do is follow the steps you’ve put in place.

Running becomes less about relying on fickle motivation and more about relying on the system you’ve built – one that makes running a natural and rewarding part of your life.

How to build a system to create your running habit

Now that we’ve explored what a system is and why it’s more reliable than motivation, it’s time to create your own. Building a system unique to you and your needs will make running a consistent, enjoyable, and integral part of your life.

The key is to break it down into manageable steps that work with your lifestyle and commitments. Here are the essential steps to building a running system, along with tips to implement them and create a lasting habit.

1. Follow a plan to build structure

A structured training plan is the backbone of any effective running system. It gives clear direction, prevents overtraining, and helps you build momentum. Each session in a plan is carefully designed to complement the previous and next ones, keeping your overall goal in mind.

How to choose the right plan:

Start small. Match your plan to your fitness level and the time you’ve got available to train. Couch to 5K is great for beginners.
Set weekly goals. Break your plan into manageable steps, such as distance or time spent running. For first-time marathoners, focusing on mileage rather than speed is generally more effective.
Be realistic. This is the most important, and often the trickiest part. People frequently overestimate their capabilities or the time they have available.

Tips for being realistic:

Base your plan on your current fitness level, not your personal best (unless you just achieved it).
Consider your schedule. Look at your diary from the past month and assess whether you could have fitted in your ideal plan.
Start with fewer days than you think you can manage. You can add more once consistency becomes second nature.
If you still aren’t sure. Go out and run a mile and see how long it takes you and how hard it was. Use this as your base pace. If it was hard, that’s your goal race pace. Work back from there. If it was easy and you felt you could’ve done another mile, that’s your easy run pace. A better option is to do a Parkrun – a measured, timed 5K. Then use that as your base training pace. There’s no need to consider how you felt because most training paces are built from your current 5K time, regardless of effort. It’s OK if you need to walk some/all of it. It’s still the time that it physically takes you to cover 5K. You can always do another one in a few weeks and adjust your training paces.

Having a good plan eliminates guesswork, and being realistic reduces the likelihood of dropout. Together they make running a natural and consistent part of your day.

2. Prepare ahead to minimise barriers

The easier it is to start running, the more likely you are to make it a habit. This ties into James Clear’s Four Laws of Behaviour Change from Atomic Habits. Specifically, his principle to ‘make it easy’ emphasises removing friction and setting up your environment to support the habits you want to build.

Preparation is key, it removes excuses, reduces effort, and makes running feel like a natural part of your day. While laying out your gear or planning your route are tried-and-tested methods, they can feel over-quoted and over-shared. So, here additional tips to help you prepare and overcome procrastination.

Tips for easy preparation:

Create a running reminder ritual. Use a specific cue to remind yourself to run. For example, put your running shoes next to your work bag the night before or set your running clothes out next to your bed. Visual triggers act as subtle nudges and help you stick to your plan. The most effective cues are ones that are already part of your daily routine.
Prepare a post-run treat. Plan a reward for after your run. It could be as simple as pre-making a smoothie or putting out your favourite post-run snack. Knowing there’s a treat waiting at the finish can make getting out easier.
Sync your playlist or podcast the night before. Choose a playlist or download a podcast episode to listen to during your run. This adds anticipation and makes your run feel like time for you.
Create a mini pre-run routine. Establish a consistent pre-run ritual to signal your brain that it’s time to run. This could be a few minutes stretching or sipping water. The repetition creates a mental and physical cue for your habit.
Visualise your run. Before your run, picture something you love about running – the peacefulness, the view, or how you’ll feel after. Visualisation is a powerful motivator that helps align your mindset with your goals.
Mentally commit to your run the night before. Imagine your run as part of your day.
Reaffirm your plan for evening runs. Tie your run to something positive – ‘I’ll run, then call my friend’ – to make it feel rewarding and intentional.

My tip: Every night, I decide when I’ll run the next day and it becomes non-negotiable and makes me clear on my intention. Without this, I feel disorganised and unclear. Making my run non-negotiable makes it much easier to stick to my plan.

3. Track Your Running Progress to Reinforce Your Habit

Tracking your runs is an essential part of a running system. It provides visual proof of your efforts, keeps you motivated, and helps you stay accountable.

What to track:

Metrics. Distance, time, and pace.
Milestones. Celebrate achievements, like a new personal best or your longest run.
Feelings. Reflect on how running makes you feel to deepen your connection to the habit.

Apps like Strava or Garmin Connect make tracking automatic and engaging. I mainly use Garmin, but I’ve also used colouring charts, training journals and one sentence journals. I know someone who had set a specific target of number of runs over a set period. They had a t-shirt created with the outline of a running person for each planned run. When they completed the run, they coloured in the outline with a fabric pen. A cool, visual keepsake from their goal.

4. Build Flexibility into Your System

Life isn’t always predictable, and your system needs to accommodate that. A rigid plan can lead to frustration, but a flexible system adapts to your circumstances while keeping you consistent.

I’ve found that there are a number of common barriers and they all come with quick solutions. For example:

Low motivation: commit to just getting dressed and starting.
Time constraints: have 2-3 short run options (15-20 minutes) planned so you can call on them at any time.
Energy dips: Adjust your run time to when you feel most energetic
Weather challenges: Have indoor alternatives or proper gear prepared

Ways to stay flexible:

Swap workout days when life gets busy. But try to anticipate this in advance so you swap rather than indefinitely postpone or cancel.
Opt for shorter runs when time is tight – every mile counts.
Focus on showing up rather than perfection.

Key tip: Flexibility isn’t about skipping runs; it’s about finding creative ways to keep moving forward. I’ve seen people successfully complete errands or run while their kids are at sports practice or games, these work well because something else is being achieved or it is paired with something else that ‘has’ to happen.

5. Celebrate Small Wins to Strengthen Your Running Habit

Positive reinforcement is a key part of any effective system. In fact, BJ Fogg PhD (author of Tiny Habits) has done a lot of research into habits and found celebration is the magic ingredient. Celebrating progress – no matter how small – keeps running enjoyable and encourages you to stick with it.

Simple Ways to Celebrate:

Give yourself a fist pump or say ‘well done’ out loud after a run.
Reflect on what you’ve accomplished and how it makes you feel.

You can treat yourself to new gear after reaching a milestone but bear in mind that BJ Fogg found the critical factor in celebration is the immediacy. So, if you are buying new gear, can you finish your milestone run at the shop? Or jump straight online to make your selection and purchase. I found selecting something, putting it in my online basket, going for my run (thinking about my lovely new top) and then celebrating by clicking ‘buy’ was an effective celebratory strategy.

Personal insight: At the end of every run, I take a moment to check in with myself. If I’m feeling great, I savour it. If it was tough, I celebrate just showing up. This small act keeps me coming back for more. (My milestone ‘new gear’ celebration is a little more involved and I save it for bigger achievements).

6. Stay Connected to your WHY

A great system is powered by purpose. Your WHY is the reason you started running, and staying connected to it makes your system meaningful and sustainable.

Take a moment to reflect on your running purpose by asking yourself:

What initially motivated me to start running?
How does running make me feel?
What personal goals or transformations am I seeking through running?

How to stay connected:

Write down your reasons for running and keep them visible. I have mine on a post-it in my old school paper diary, so each day when I look at what I need to do that day, the first thing I see is my WHY. I then move it to the next day so it’s ready for me to see again. You could set it as an alarm on your phone, so it pops up at the same time every day.
Reflect on your WHY during tough runs to remind yourself of the bigger picture.

Personal insight: When I’m struggling to get started, I take a moment to close my eyes and remember how running makes me feel and the satisfaction and achievement I get immediately at the end of a session. It’s a powerful motivator that extends beyond running into other areas of life.

Systems make running a habit you’ll love

When you create the right system, running becomes more than just a workout – it becomes a habit and a lifestyle. By following a plan, preparing ahead, tracking your progress, staying flexible, celebrating wins, and connecting to your WHY, you’ll build a sustainable routine that makes running consistent and fun.

Ready to make running a habit? My First Marathon: Miles and Smiles coaching program is designed to help you build the habits and mindset you need to complete your first marathon and fall in love with running. Book a free call today to find out how I can help you change your running mindset and see where it can take you.