Let’s talk about DNFs

When You Line Up on the Start Line… But Don’t Cross the Finish Line

Each month brings a new opportunity to race; recently we have seen the running of Buffalo Stampede, UTA and the Great Ocean Road Running Festival. For every participant there’s a unique kind of courage in showing up at the start line of an endurance event. You’ve trained. You’ve prepped. You’ve visualised crossing the finish line. But sometimes… life throws a plot twist, and you don’t make it to the end.

Maybe it was an injury. Maybe your body said “not today.” Maybe your mind just couldn’t push through this time. Whatever the reason, you trying to reconcile and understand what just happened.

First things first: give yourself time to grieve

Yes, grieve. Because even though it might “just be a race,” the emotional investment that goes into training for and starting an endurance event is massive. It’s weeks, months—even years—of effort. It’s early mornings, skipped parties, and countless hours on your feet. And when that energy doesn’t culminate in the celebration you were aiming for, it can sting. Grieving doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.

Let’s Talk Regret

Regret is a tricky little emotion. It loves to sneak in after the fact, when you’re rehydrated, rebandaged, and scrolling social media seeing everyone else’s triumphant finish line photos.

We tend to associate regret with things like:

• “I regret getting that tattoo of a leprechaun on my foot.”
• “I regret eating that entire cake by myself.”

But saying “I regret giving up on that race too soon” hits differently. It’s more personal. More loaded.

By definition, regret is the belief that a past event could’ve been changed to produce a better outcome. It’s a mental game of “what ifs” and “if onlys.”

And what does that lead to?

• Disappointment: Because you wanted more for yourself.
• Guilt: Because maybe you think you could’ve pushed harder.
• Remorse: Because hindsight is always sharper than mid-race decision-making.

But here’s the thing about regret—it implies control. That maybe if you’d fuelled better, rested more, paced differently, things would have turned out perfectly. And sure, maybe they would have. But maybe not.

Endurance sports are unpredictable. Life is unpredictable. You can’t always plan for a cramp, a mental wall, or a body that just says “nope.” Sometimes you make the best decision you could at the time with the information you had—and that’s all anyone can ask of you.

So, What Now?

Instead of getting stuck in regret, try shifting the narrative:

• Reflect instead of ruminate. What did you learn? What worked? What didn’t? Write it down. Talk it out.
• Reframe the experience. You didn’t fail—you gained experience. Hard-earned, humbling, and oh-so-useful experience.
• Reignite your fire. Once the bruises heal (physical and emotional), set your sights on what’s next. A comeback is always a powerful story.

And remember—just because you didn’t cross that finish line doesn’t mean you won’t cross another. Showing up at the start line in the first place? That’s already a win.

Because sometimes, the best stories aren’t about the medals we collect—but the resilience we build along the way.