Earned, not given

[VERSE]
I didn’t start as the strongest man
I started tired, with too much in my head
Fast mouth, fast mind, always one step ahead
But tripping over doubts I never said

I ran from noise, I ran from fear
From nights where quitting felt too near
Every scar I tried to hide
Is the reason I’m still alive

[PRE]
They don’t see the weight I carry
They don’t hear the voice I beat
But every mile reminds me
I’m more than my defeat

[CHORUS]
This is my hall of fame
Not lights, not names
Just blood and breath and burning lungs
I earned this pain

I’m still here, I still run
For the man I was
For the man I’ve become
When my legs say stop
My heart says one more
This road remembers who I’m running for

[VERSE]
I learned discipline the hard way
By messing up, by walking back
I learned silence is a weapon
When excuses try to attack

No shortcuts, no applause
Just early mornings, inner wars
Every step rewrites my past
I’m not broken, I’m built to last

[PRE]
I don’t need a finish line
To prove I’m strong inside
Every time I lace them up
I choose the fight

[CHORUS]
This is my hall of fame
No crowd, no stage
Just sweat dripping on the ground
I paid this way

I’m still here, I still run
When it hurts like hell
I don’t turn, I don’t numb
If I fall, I rise
If I break, I heal
This road is the only thing that’s real

[BRIDGE]
Some run to escape
I run to remember
Who I am when it gets hard
Who I am under pressure

If I quit now, I lie to myself
If I keep going, I win
Not against them
Against who I’ve been

[FINAL CHORUS]
This is my hall of fame
Every mile, my name
Carved in breath and discipline
Through the pain

I run for my past
I run for my son
I run so he knows
You don’t quit when it’s tough
This isn’t a phase
This is who I became
This road knows my story
This is my hall of fame

Poprock / Alternative Pop (Motivational Rock Ballad), male