To help peel you off the couch and get you moving, we’ve found the very best running songs to keep you going mile after mile in the gym or on the hiking trail. These tracks are ideal whether you run for enjoyment, hit the street to begrudgingly fulfill a resolution or incorporate running as the cardio portion of an energetic workout. Regardless of what’s driving you to pound the pavement, an upbeat playlist is a must. From thumping hip-hop beats to high-energy guitar jam, here’s your new favorite running mix.
1. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
Here’s the thing about “Eye of the Tiger:” If you get into running, you’ll probably think about signing up for a race. Maybe a neighbourhood fun run to start, then a 5K or a 10K, or even a half or full marathon. And this is where a runner’s familiarity with this song begins. It is basically impossible to run a race without hearing it, whether you’re going 3.1 miles or 26.2. We’re not here to claim this song as a modern musical masterpiece, but it’s going to motivate you to keep going whether you like it or not.
2. “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys
This grungy, distorted rapcore tune, off 1994’s Ill Communication, gets your heart racing, making it a go-to track for really pushing your pace with the Boys yelling in your ears. The steady beat and frantic turntable scratches don’t hurt either.
3. “Lightning Bolt” by Jake Bugg
Young Brit Jake Bugg’s his first big hit is associated with Gatorade. It appeared in an ad for the runner’s drink of choice a few years ago, and its driving beat and catchy, scrabbling guitar will easily push you along the road. Short and sweet at under two and a half minutes, it’s a great opportunity for you to pick up the pace a little.
4. “Go!” by Santigold feat. Karen O
This, friends, is your sprint song. Philly-based artist Santigold always gets our blood pumping, and in 2011 she collaborated with another, equally amazing lady singer, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, to create this beat-heavy anthem. It’s got swagger, it’s got drive, and it’s perfect for busting out a quick half-mile (or for furiously running in place — whichever you’re in the mood for).
5. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
The first rap to win an Oscar for Best Song, this cut from 2002’s 8 Mile soundtrack is a blast of pure nervous aggression. Singing as B-Rabbit, his character in the movie, Eminem captures a rising rapper’s harsh back-and-forth of anxiety and ambition. Program the song for later in your run; it’s the ideal fuel to propel you beyond what you think your limits are.
6. “Stronger” by Kanye West
Kanye makes no bones about lifting the hook of Daft Punk’s robot-disco anthem “Harder Better Faster Stronger” for his 2007 tune. As you’re running along, take a lesson from Ye, who, despite the seemingly effortless borrowing, obsessed over the single’s mixing and production. It’s a process, people!
7. “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine
This 2008 track builds momentum effortlessly, just like a run on a good day. (And speaking of which, the chorus is literally urging you to run, fast.) This song was definitely overplayed for multiple years, but it’s nevertheless energetic and uplifting.
8. “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo
This song has a rhythm that’s perfect for running and a healthy bit of angst courtesy of current pop queen Olivia Rodrigo.
9. “Ace of Spades” by Mötorhead
When Lemmy fires up that rumbling bass intro – sitting still ceases to be an option. You’ve got to move. So, let this be the track to make you get up and set your pace. Go!
10. “All My Life” by Foo Fighters
If you need a little motivation to get you from the point of warming up (i.e. walking fast and fiddling with your phone) to actually pounding the track, cue up this fiery Foo’s number from 2002. Its starting-block intro rumbles with pent-up energy, before it hurls you into your running zone. Even the most normally tranquil athletes will find themselves singing along to Grohl’s defiant refrain – “Done! Done! On to the next one!” – and that’s a promise. 5k? Done!
11. “Such Great Heights” by the Postal Service
Is your pace lagging? Feeling a little drained? Perhaps there’s a hill ahead. Don’t worry, this much-loved 2003 hit from the Postal Service hits the perfect spot of running cadence. Let your feet hit the pavement on the beat of this song and you’ll be out of your mid-run tiredness in no time.
12. “Run Run Run” by the Who
Slip this opening cut from the Who’s 1966 sophomore album into your running mix, and hopefully some of its energy will get your limbs moving. Bounding along to Keith Moon’s splashy racket keeps those knees high and those arms pumping.
13. “Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango
The late, great Manu Dibango’s six-minute classic meets at the intersection of Afrobeat, disco and soul, with its pulsing rhythm proving the ultimate pace-setter, provided you can keep moving without stopping to groove to a saxophone line. And good luck with that: It’s repeated constantly throughout this certified jam. But hey, dancing is a form of cardio, too.
14. “Let’s Go on a Run” by Chance the Rapper
All of Chance the Rapper’s bravado belies the fact that the Chicago rapper is basically a human Labrador excited about everything, including going running. So he wrote the ideal running song. This is basically what would happen if your ultra-friendly track coach was also a world-class rapper.
15. “Wolf Like Me” by TV on the Radio
This 2006 track has a driving beat and propelling lyrics, making it easy to pick up your pace and focus on the task at hand. Or foot, rather. The song is like a mini-workout in itself, with a slower and more subdued midsection to give your legs a break before picking back up and compelling you to fly through the very last second.
16. “Runnin” by Sinkane
Sudanese percussionist and Yeasayer, Caribou collaborator Ahmed Gallab jumped out of the solo career starting blocks with this slice of confectionary Afrobeat. “Gotta keep on runnin’, runnin’,” he sings in a sweet falsetto over funky wah-wah and cassette tape warble. The secret to the best jogging music is that it’s interchangeable with great dance music. Nothing Gallab has made in the years since this 2012 debut has matched its irresistibility – but nothing has to. He’s earned a place on every running mix.
