For many runners, music is absolutely essential.
From preparing to go out, keeping your entertained and motivated during your run, and even directly assisting training by keeping you running at a constant pace – music plays a huge role in the entire running experience.
You may be unsure what music to listen to whilst running, or you may just be looking for some new tunes to spice up your training. Check out Alder Hey’s Spotify playlists below to find some great tracks for running to no matter your ability level.
Good running songs
The best running songs for you will depend on a lot of factors, namely the pace at which you can and want to run. That said, there are some features which make a “good” running song, and can help you to group songs together into playlists to last the length of your run.
- Upbeat-ness
Music that has an energetic and upbeat feel to it is generally more appropriate for running; more acoustic or low-fi tracks may not have the desired motivational effect!
- BPM
Different songs will have a different number of beats per minute (BPM). Creating playlists of songs with the same BPM will help you to run at a constant pace as you keep in time with the music. You can even tailor playlists to play slower BPM songs at the beginning and end with faster ones in the middle.
- Length
Creating a playlist gives you an easy opportunity to increase the amount of time that you run for – and also track the amount of time that you are running for. Running for “one more song” longer than usual may feel much easier to do than if you tell yourself you’re running for three more minutes or another half a kilometre.
The Ultimate Running playlist
There is nothing more motivating than an energetic, upbeat soundtrack specially designed to take you from a light warm up, to a fully-fledged run. One of the most popular options for modern runners is Spotify. Spotify allows you to stream music via Wi-Fi connection for free and create your ultimate running playlist. Upgrade to a premium membership to download your workout playlist to your phone and listen anywhere without ads or the need for Wi-Fi connection. The premium membership can cost around £10 per month, but you can often take advantage of special offers and free 30 days trials before you fully commit.
We’ve created our very own Alder Hey Spotify playlist, which you can follow and listen to while you run. Featuring a number of energetic and motivating tracks to take you from warm up, through to a full workout.