When the Mind Takes Over: The Importance of Mental Preparation for Runners

Mental preparation is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of training, especially for runners. Whether they are amateurs or professionals, mental state can be a decisive factor in their performance and overall well-being. Far from being an innate ability, a ‘strong mind’ can be developed and strengthened, and this process is accessible to everyone.

The mental aspect consistently plays a part in performance, whether it’s crossing the finish line of a local race or aiming for excellence on an international level. For amateur runners, mental preparation may seem like a luxury reserved for athletes, but in reality, this practice offers significant benefits at all levels of engagement. One of the major challenges for amateurs is overcoming the aversion to difficulty they may encounter. This manifests as thoughts that suggest they don’t have the energy to go further, and that giving up is the only viable option. However, current research shows that working on mental strength helps overcome these moments of blockage, whether through visualization, breathing techniques, or meditation. As Anne Fourié, a mental coach at Happyperf and mental trainer for Baptiste Chassagne, who finished 2nd at UTMB 2024, explains: “The mind plays a crucial role in managing emotions during moments of doubt and extreme fatigue, where the body might push us to give up. I define mental preparation as acquiring tools that enhance cognitive abilities and mental strength.”

“Blockages are often unconscious, which is where mental preparation steps in”

Anne Fourié works with both professional and amateur runners, who face a variety of challenges: “Amateur runners come to me to manage their stress, overcome their nighttime anxieties during trail running, or stabilize their work/life balance that has become fragile. Blockages are often unconscious, which is where mental preparation steps in. With the athlete, we use techniques to understand what’s happening in their mind and unblock the fears so everything functions smoothly on the field.” To silence that negative inner voice, Anne lists with her clients everything they are competent in, whether in training or competition: “The brain tends to focus only on its weaknesses to avoid danger and stay in its comfort zone. We can all easily list our flaws, but enumerating our strengths is more challenging.” Thus, mental preparation involves raising the athlete’s awareness of their abilities by constructing key phrases they can repeat during challenging moments. For instance, during a major crisis of doubt on a nighttime descent, a trail runner might recall their training and tell themselves, “I know I can do this, I nailed it last week,” and recondition their brain during the effort.

Mental preparation for professional Runners: the differentiating element

Knowing that the mind can represent 20 to 30% of performance, psychological preparation is no longer just an option but a near necessity for elite athletes. Interest in sports psychology intensified in the 1970s, thanks to pioneers like Timothy Gallwey, who demonstrated that mental control and self-discipline are just as important as physical condition. Since then, techniques such as visualization and positive affirmations have been incorporated into elite athletes’ training routines to optimize stress management, and self-confidence, and most importantly, to push their physical limits. Almost inevitably, a runner who neglects their mental state neglects a part of their performance. Mental preparation is a true science that, by integrating concepts of cognitive and behavioral psychology, helps athletes identify their barriers and reverse limiting beliefs. This approach becomes an essential resource for professional runners, whether preparing for a marathon, half-marathon, 10k, or trail. Beyond performance, there’s another aspect to work on mentally: success. During his preparation for the UTMB, Anne was already preparing Baptiste for victory: “We underestimate the impact of success; it brings additional pressure. It’s necessary to understand the media aspect and performance anxiety that follow. With Baptiste, we built a lot on the assumption that he would succeed, because it was incredibly daunting for him to think that if he placed on the UTMB podium, it would be overwhelming. It turned out to be true (laughs), but he was ready, and it helped him not to fear his victory.”

Playing on the unconscious and countering it

According to Anne, the brain must be freed from negative thought patterns, tame fatigue, and see every challenge as an opportunity to grow: “You need to play on the unconscious and counter it, otherwise, you’re just enduring. The brain’s role is to keep us alive, which is why an athlete tends to feel more negative sensations. When you know that your brain just wants your comfort, you can counter it and bring positive and beneficial ideas.” That’s what mental preparation is: being able to redirect your thoughts to trigger new mental states. Once considered taboo, this practice is now becoming mainstream in all sports disciplines. Athletes seem to understand that turning to a mental coach is no longer a sign of weakness, but of performance optimization. Whether the goal is to cross the finish line or to stand atop a podium, a solid and trained mind becomes a “lock” which, once unlocked, gives the runner a new dimension of strength and resilience.