Every year, tens of thousands of people line up at the start of the London Marathon. Some look determined, some look nervous, excited even. You might even catch someone looking a little silly dressed up as a giant kangaroo. 

But why? 

Many, many runners are there to raise money for a cause that means everything to them – it is one of the world’s largest fundraising events.  

Some though are competing chasing a personal best, tracking every split second along the way. Others are simply trying to prove to themselves that they can do it.
And some just want to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the day. 

Same race. Completely different reasons. So what’s really driving them? 

This is where most traditional thinking about motivation falls short. Goals, rewards, recognition – traditional ways to keep up motivation. But in reality, what drives behaviour runs much deeper and what motivates one runner might fall flat for another.  

At PRINT®, we call these Unconscious Motivators®, the hidden drivers that shape how people think, feel and act.  

They influence: 

  • how someone trains – or doesn’t! 
  • how they respond to pressure  
  • what success looks like to them  
  • and crucially… how they need to be coached  

And nowhere is this more visible than at the start line of a marathon. There are many, many PRINT® profiles but at the highest level we can broadly group the overarching motivations into three families: ‘Do its’, ‘Think its’ and ‘Feel its’.  

Here we’ve taken a look at how you might be able to spot the different families showing up at the start line. 

 

‘Do It’ runners are action and results driven 

What drives them: 

  • Achievement  
  • Results  
  • Progress  
  • Winning (or beating their own time)  

You’ll often hear a ‘Do It’ runner talking about pace, times or personal bests. They’re likely tracking their performance closely and looking for ways to improve. Focused, efficient and outcome-driven, even if they’re running for charity, they’ll find it hard to ignore the numbers. 

Their shadow behaviours can show up when progress stalls. Frustration can creep in if performance dips, and their relentless drive to improve can sometimes push them towards burnout or injury. 

How to support them:
Be clear, direct and goal-focused. Help them track progress and celebrate measurable improvements and milestones. For a ‘Do It’ runner, seeing results isn’t just motivating, it’s essential. 

 

‘Think It’ runners are strategy driven 

What drives them: 

  • Doing it properly  
  • Structure and preparation  
  • Knowledge and continuous improvement  

Think It runners are the planners. They’re likely to have a detailed training programme and they’ll stick to it. They’ll research everything from the best trainers to wear, to weather conditions, to nutrition strategies. Preparation gives them confidence and control. 

They often seek out expertise too, learning from others who’ve done it before to refine their own approach. 

Their shadow behaviours can emerge when things don’t go to plan. They may struggle to adapt, stick too rigidly to their programme, or become overly self-critical. Unexpected changes and curveballs can create stress. 

How to support them:
Give them clear reasoning and logic behind any advice. Help them prepare for uncertainties in advance, so they’re not thrown off on the day by looking at things like traffic on the way to the event etc. Structure reassures them but so does knowing they have a plan for when the plan changes. 

 

‘Feel It’ runners are meaning and connection driven 

What drives them: 

  • Purpose  
  • Connection  
  • Personal meaning  

Feel It runners experience the marathon on a deeper level. There’s often a strong sense of purpose behind why they’re running, whether that’s a personal journey, a cause they care about, or a story that matters to them. 

They’re likely to talk about how the experience feels: the atmosphere, the support from the crowd, the emotional highs and lows, not just the outcome. 

Their shadow behaviours can show up as emotional overwhelm or taking setbacks personally. If they lose connection to their “why”, their motivation can quickly fade. 

How to support them:
Keep reconnecting them to their purpose. Acknowledge their effort, their impact, and what the experience means. Encouragement, empathy and visible support on the sidelines especially on race day will make a huge difference 

 

Keep on cheering 

Motivation isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s shaped by deeper, often unconscious drivers. 

Two people might sign up for the same race for the same surface reason such as  raising money, but how they train and how they show up on the day – as well as  what success looks like can be completely different. 

That’s the power of understanding what really drives us. 

So whether you’re supporting someone from the sidelines or thinking about taking on a challenge yourself, it’s worth asking: what’s really motivating me? 

When you understand that, you can work with your motivations not against them and make the whole experience more effective, and more enjoyable. However you run it, a marathon is no small feat. 

And every runner crossing that finish line has achieved something that matters – to them!