When Ryan and I started running (more) seriously back in 2015, I had every excuse in the book as to why running sucked. One of my most recurring excuses is that I didn’t have a good playlist and that I couldn’t imagine finding music that could get me through the long runs. Since I ran the Chicago Marathon though, I’ve found a good rotation of old faithful songs on my running playlist, as well as new favorites, that help me along as I log the miles each day.
I should preface this entire post with the fact that my running playlist is an eclectic mix of old and new songs, uptempo and slower songs, and pretty much everything in between. I posted something on my instagram stories yesterday about how runners get through the long runs, and one of my biggest go-to tricks is to listen to the same slow song on repeat throughout a long run, forcing me to stick to a slower, smoother tempo. Monotonous? Yes. Effective? Definitely.
As my playlist continues to evolve, there’s a core group of about 20-25 songs that remain on rotation, and I’m sharing those today in the hopes that others may find some new gems that may work for them, too. So, without further ado…
- Hedley – Better Days
- Imagine Dragons – Thunder
- Robert DeLong ft. K. Flay – Favorite Color is Blue
- Angels & Airwaves – Do it for Me Now
- Massive Attack – Teardrop
- Keri Hilson ft. Kanye West & Ne-Yo – Knock You Down
- Riverdale Cast – Astronaut
- Taylor Swift – …Ready for It?
- Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber – Despacito Remix
- Chord Overstreet & Deepend – Hold On Remix
- MagnusTheMagnus – Area
- Ruelle – Fire Meets Fate
- Fall Out Boy – Centuries
- Muse – Madness
- The Script – Hall of Fame
- Iggy Azalea – Black Widow
- Daughtry – Battleships
- Demi Lovato – Confident
- Royal Tailor ft. Capital Kings – Ready Set Go
- Safetysuit – Pause
- Sam Tinnesz – Heart of Darkness
- Jimmy Eat World – Dizzy
- Shiny Toy Guns – You Are the One
- Pentatonix – Daft Punk
- Breaking Benjamin – The Diary of Jane
Like I said, my running playlist is a weird mix. Each song is on there for a reason. Some of them have those hooks that get stuck in your head, making it the perfect phrase/beat to repeat over and over as the miles tick on. Some of them are slower and calmer, forcing my stride to relax justttt a little bit. Others are upbeat and encourage me to pick up the pace on faster runs.
Are you a runner? What songs are on frequent rotation for you? I love adding new ones to the mix!
