Music can calm, uplift, or push us while running. Musical tastes vary as much as our personalities, and not all of us like to run with tunes. Still, here are some of our favorite running songs for those so inclined. I’ve included the beats per minute (bpm) for the geeks like me who like to match the tempo of the music to their cadence.
Dreamer by Abakus (114 bpm – it’s slow, but read below!)
The placement of this song in my marathon playlist is at odds with my usual musical set. The tempo is far below my running pace, and it’s not a song with high energy. Yet, I just love this tune. I like it so much that I decided to add it to my playlist in opposition to my instincts.
During my last marathon this song came on, and it felt like I was floating.
In fact, I actually closed my eyes for a bit (but not for so long as to run off course!). I felt revived. I now have added a bunch of slow-paced tunes to my playlist for the specific reason of slowing not my pace, but my mind.
My Jamaican Guy by Grace Jones (186 bpm)
I have a real mix on my running music playlists. Some are meant to get me into high gear, others to relax me. Brought to you from 1982, My Jamaican Guy is somewhere in the middle. It’s kind of relaxing but still makes me move. It has a wonderful funky beat which is constant throughout the song, and is a good length. I always love it when it comes on!
Blaze Away by Morcheeba (176 bpm)
This is one of my all-time favs for running. In one of my most challenging marathons I was really struggling near the end. In the last km, “Blaze Away” came on my headphones from my playlist. Just in time. It gave me the last burst of energy I needed to blaze (in my own weak manner!) to the finish line.
Tidal Wave by Sub Focus (ft. Alpines) (173 pbm)
Wow! Another of my absolute favorite running songs. I have to admit that it rests in my marathon playlist multiple times so that it will come on more than once. It’s like a shot of pure sugar when my energy is flagging. I love the power of it!
Yolcu by Altin Gun (190 bpm)
I’m a big fan of music which is a fusion of “Western” music and the music of other areas of the world. Altin Gun is from Turkey. The different sound of this tune is great for running when it comes on after regular old rock and roll. The beats per minute is faster than my typical cadence, but it can help break up the tedium (did I really say that word? Sacrilege!) of a long run.