30 Guilty-Pleasure Songs Guaranteed to Power You Through Your Hardest Miles
We all have that song we can’t stop skipping to—but are embarrassed to admit it.
One thing that gets many of us through all those miles? Music. While everyone has their standard running playlist, there are some songs more than others that we keep skipping to when we need something to push us past the mental roadblocks in our workouts.
As we learned from chatting around the Runner’s World office, the songs that power us through our hardest miles are pretty individualized—and some, as we realized, we may be a little embarrassed to share.
We all have them: those guilty-pleasure songs that you know will fire you up enough to crush those last miles. We spilled them in the office, and asked our readers via Instagram to share which songs save them when they feel like they just can’t go on.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of those guilty pleasures. Turns out, many runners share the same pump-up song, meaning maybe they aren’t so cringe-worthy after all. So go ahead, take a look through the list and see if your favorite song pops up. You may even find some inspiration for the next time you update your playlist. (Want them all on there? We’ve created the playlist.)
“Baby Shark”
“It got put on as a joke, but when it came on during mile 22 of my last marathon, it really got me moving. I wound up passing several people because the song said ‘let’s go hunting, do do da do.’ I also got a PR and a BQ at that race.” —nurse_graham
“Party in the USA”
“This routinely gets me through tough miles.” —rueckelberryfin
“How else can we go on after mile 20?” —ochoobelle
“Yaaas! I love that song, good vibes” —fuscia_runs_free
“Ice Ice Baby”
“‘Alright stop, collaborate and listen’ at mile 8 is my mental reminder to get my head back in the race and let go of negative thoughts of being tired or something hurts.” —idreamofparties
“Eyeless”
“It’s a banger. Also, straight out of middle school”—erimaseri9995
“Never Gonna Give You Up”
“I like to Rickroll myself midrun just to spice it up a bit.”—e.demayhem
“It’s Raining Men”
“It’s a certified BANGER and kept me going when I wanted to die on the side of the road. I totally danced the whole time.” —shrinkingmidget
“SOS”
“Usually comes on and saves me right as I’m in distress. Thanks RiRi!”—rebeccaarivera
“Thrift Shop”
“Not embarrassing, just awesome. Thinking of the music video makes me laugh every time.”—mister_a_to_k
Christmas Songs
“‘Little Drummer Boy’ all year round.” —tkt.827
“I thought I was the only one. ‘Carol of the Bells’ for me!”—saramcgray
Theme Songs
“In the middle of my marathon playlist I put a bunch of TV show theme songs. It’s a great distraction. The Mary Tyler Moore theme song, just can’t make it through that song without smiling every time! Fun to sing along to and get lost to theme songs for The Facts of Life, Baywatch, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and many other shows.”—billinsouthphila
“The Jurassic Park theme song, Pirates of the Caribbean theme song, ‘Just Around the Riverbend’ and ‘Colors of the Wind.’” —Angie_runs
Showtunes and Soundtracks
“The entire score to the Disney light show ‘Fantasmic.’” —kaypasa
“‘Let it Go’ from Frozen. It’s inspiring and makes me think of cold weather on the hot runs.” —dreamchaser_481
“The Greatest Show theme song by Hugh Jackman.”—gagemccoytx
“‘Life’s a Happy Song’ from The Muppets. It was recommended by my cousin who always has the sunniest outlook, and it’s always good for a laugh, a big smile, and a little surge late in a race, dedicated to him.”—jillsherlok
“‘One More Day’ from Les Misérables.” —leeglasgow
Staff Picks
“‘Why Not’ by Hilary Duff —Katie Fogel, Social Media Editor
“‘You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray—Drew Dawson, Gear and News Editor
“‘Sk8er Boi’” by Avril Lavigne—Jordan Smith, Digital Editor
“Anything from Legally Blonde is FIRE, particularly ‘Whipped Into Shape’ and ‘Omigod You Guys.’”—Gabrielle Hondorp, Editorial Fellow
The Perfect Playlist for Long Runs
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The Best Songs to Add to Your Playlist this Month
