You Have Greatness

At Across the Years, I ran a few miles with a friend and asked about his recent races. To my surprise, he raved about the honor of watching an elite runner cross the finish line in first place.

Curious, I asked why this moment stood out. It wasn’t his race, and he didn’t seem to have a personal connection to the runner.

As if it were obvious, he replied, “I got to witness greatness.”

I paused, letting his words sink in. All around us on the 1.41-mile loop, runners were defying their own mental, emotional, and physical challenges to chase their goals:

• Aging athletes whose bodies no longer respond like they used to.

• Someone racing while supporting a friend through trauma.

• A runner who took a financial risk and flew halfway around the world just to be there.

• A person who once faced an early death but whose life was saved by running.

These individuals, like most of us, may never stand on a podium. Yet they fit ultrarunning into real lives filled with real challenges, and to me, their efforts were no less extraordinary.

I turned to my friend, gestured to the runners around us, and replied, “We are ALL greatness.”

That moment made me realize how easily we deny our own greatness, reserving it exclusively for others. It’s a pattern I often notice in ultrarunners, one that keeps them from fully appreciating their own growth.

I frequently hear ultrarunners downplay their accomplishments: “I’m just back-of-the-pack,” or “I only run to finish.” Despite the incredible work they put into training and the remarkable distances they cover, many feel compelled to ensure others don’t think they take themselves too seriously.

This belief—that greatness is reserved for podium finishes and extraordinary feats—often goes unquestioned.

Why? For one, ultrarunning is increasingly divided into a hierarchy—elites and everyone else—with social media and money amplifying the perceived worth of the fastest runners.

Our brains also prefer simplicity. It’s easier to focus on measurable outcomes—like finish times and rankings—than to consider individual circumstances. How do you compare a runner balancing caregiving and a full-time job with someone who trains full-time?

Once the idea that greatness belongs to others takes root, it’s easy to find proof. Race organizers celebrating only podium finishers or packing up before back-of-the-pack runners finish reinforce this belief.

But if left unchecked, this mindset traps us. We either push ourselves to exhaustion trying to prove we’re elite or resign ourselves to being invisible.

Here’s the problem: the concept that greatness is reserved for a few is flawed.

I believe we all have greatness.

You have greatness.

Do more than feel a fleeting moment of inspiration—look for how this is true. Here are four examples:

• Greatness is inherent. Every person has the capacity for greatness. It’s not found in buckles or awards but in the willingness to grow and push beyond your own limits.

• It’s a state of being. Greatness isn’t tied to a specific accomplishment. It’s about striving—giving your best effort and reaching for your potential.

• Your greatness Is unique. Each runner’s journey reflects their own strengths, challenges, and circumstances. The caregiver squeezing in training may embody just as much greatness as an elite chasing a record.

• The stretch is what counts. If your goal challenges you as much as an elite’s challenges them, your effort is equally remarkable. The distance between where you are and where you aim to be defines your greatness—not your finish time or place.

It’s time to claim your greatness.

If you’ve ever felt like your ultrarunning doesn’t matter, reconsidering the beliefs that cause that feeling—like how you define greatness—can reignite your passion.

When you challenge limiting beliefs, you open the door to seeing your efforts in a new light. Your races become opportunities to fully engage—not to prove anything, but to embrace the joy, growth, and possibility they offer.

You’re not limited by someone else’s definition of greatness—you’re creating your own. And that shift can transform not just your running but your entire experience of the sport.