When setting out for a run, no matter the distance, many people turn to music as their companion. It gives the body adrenaline to keep pushing and even helps distract from the pain or the number of miles left ahead.
When I run, I like to have a mix with a variety of genres and tempos. You don't want all of the songs to get you so pumped that you end up gassing out right away—it's all about finding that nice balance for what you need and for the distance you're planning to run. With so many runners and music lovers here in Central Oregon, I wanted to see what the community was listening to—so I reached out to runners in the area via email (and also the @sourceweekly Instagram feed) to build a playlist everyone can use.
Here's a sneak peek at some of the songs that local runners reported loving. Find the full playlist on our Spotify profile.
Ian Sharman, Head Coach at Sharman Ultra, two-time USATF 100-mile trail champion
"Funky Shit" – The Prodigy
"Elekrobank" - The Chemical Brothers
Eric Heinemann, Leadville Series Finisher
"When I Feel the Sea Beneath My Soul" – Taj Mahal
Nicole Vulcan, our Editor in Chief
"Anything Cardi B, but mostly, 'I Like It.'"
Katie Jundt, @kjundt on Instagram
"Under Pressure" – Queen & David Bowie
Kym Tyson, Happy Girls Runner
"Virus" – Martin Garrix
Kathryn Burn, @kathrynwoody13 on Instagram
"Put Your Money On Me" - Arcade Fire
Lisa Smith, @lisa3575 on Instagram
"Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
@scottf541 on Instagram
"Walk This Way" - Run-DMC & Aerosmith
My two picks:
"The Wolves" by Ben Howard and "Freelance" by Toro Y Moi.
We'll continue to update the playlist as we find new songs to put on there and we'll keep taking your suggestions! Check out this story online and be sure to comment your favorite songs to run to.