There are runs where the mind wanders and the body follows, like on my beloved long hill runs, where thoughts and steps intertwine naturally. Other times, like on the track during repeats, every movement demands total presence, and all my attention must be focused on the action.
In both cases I’m running, but where is my head?
“Being focused” goes beyond “not getting distracted”
Attention and concentration are two invisible forces that hold body and mind together. In running, they’re often underestimated, but they are what determine whether you stay anchored to what you’re doing or get lost in thoughts and stimuli. This isn’t just for Olympic athletes; it concerns anyone who runs, at any level. We tend to reduce concentration to the school-like concept of “paying attention,” but it’s much more. To concentrate means to actively direct your attention, choosing what to focus on and what to ignore based on the situation. Running isn’t just putting one foot in front of the other: it’s listening to your body, reading the environment, managing your pace, and having a dialogue with yourself.
Attention, Concentration
The key difference between attention and concentration lies in intentionality: while attention can be spontaneous and reactive, concentration is a voluntary act, directed toward a specific goal. It requires the active involvement of the central nervous system to filter what matters and ignore the rest. Concentrating requires effort, control, and awareness. It’s about directing all cognitive resources toward a precise purpose. When you’re concentrated, every part of you works in synergy: perceptions, emotions, willpower.
In practice, concentration operates on two fronts: on one hand, internal stimuli (thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations), and on the other, the external goals we want to achieve. Managing both is the heart of the game. Concentration is an act of choice: saying yes to what matters and no to everything else.
Attentional Styles: A Map for the Runner’s Mind
Robert Nideffer, an American psychologist specializing in sports psychology, developed the model of attentional styles, which describes how athletes modulate their attention along two axes: width (broad or narrow) and direction (internal or external).
Here’s what they are and how to use them in running:
- Broad External Used to take in the environment in its entirety: the course, other runners, potential obstacles.
- Narrow External Here, attention is concentrated on a single external stimulus: for example, your foot landing on uneven ground, your watch, the runner ahead of you that you’re trying to catch.
- Broad Internal You ask yourself how you’re feeling, how much farther to go, whether to slow down or speed up. This is the space for strategic thinking and listening to your body, and it’s useful in moments that require an overall assessment of your physical and emotional state.
- Narrow Internal Here, attention is focused on an internal detail: your breath, a physical sensation, a mental mantra. It’s the type of focus that can help you endure fatigue or turn inward. Each of us has a predominant attentional style, but during a run, we continuously move between these styles, often without realizing it. Understanding these mechanisms helps you to consciously use them instead of being controlled by them.
If you know where to put your mind, you can often get your body to go where you want it to.
How to Train Concentration in Running
Like any mental skill, concentration can be trained with method and consistency. Here are a few simple but effective strategies:
- Focus on your breath. It’s one of the most immediate ways to “get back” into your body and the present moment.
- Choose a point of focus. During a workout, try to consciously bring your attention to a sensation (your push-off, the foot strike, your posture) and hold it for a few minutes.
- Practice alternating. On a long run, try to voluntarily shift your attention between external and internal, broad and narrow. It’s an interesting mental exercise that will help you control the direction of your focus.
- Reduce mental noise. If you notice your thoughts becoming excessive or distracting, try labeling them (“I’m thinking about…”) and return to the present moment. As Daniel Goleman notes in his book Focus, “the most powerful distractors are our emotions.” If you don’t recognize them, they will carry you away, but if you learn to notice them, you can also choose to stay right where you need to be: on task.
The Rituals That Help You Focus
Besides training concentration, many athletes use attentional rituals to prepare themselves for crucial moments. A famous case is Rafael Nadal, who always repeats the same sequence before serving: he adjusts his shirt on his shoulders, touches his nose, tucks his hair behind his ears (first left, then right), touches his nose again, and finally “adjusts his shorts.” There’s surely an element of superstition or obsession, but in practice, it’s nothing more than an attentional ritual. It serves to create a mental anchor and get into the zone.
I have my own ritual before races, too: I isolate myself with music and do repetitive actions, like stepping up and down on a step. It helps me “get into my bubble,” where I can regulate my attention and reduce the noise, both internal and external.
Where are you, while you run?
Training your concentration isn’t just for running better, but also for learning better and living better. When you’re focused, the brain organizes information more effectively, builds stronger connections, and links every stimulus to a clear objective. If you’re distracted, however, your neural circuits fire randomly, chasing stimuli disconnected from your intent. Knowing and training your attentional styles can make all the difference, not just in a race, but in the quality of the sensations you experience while you run.
So put down your phone, look up, and choose where to place your attention. Even now.