Published October 30, 2026 01:15PM
Let’s begin with a few confessions: It’s been years since I gave my running playlist an overhaul. I’m still running to Backstreet Boys’ songs with other Y2K classics and some recent pop-country hits sprinkled in; it’s also been a minute since I nailed a PR in any distance.
Those admissions might ease the embarrassment of hearing “Tell me why” for the 355th time, but the next step is reflection and possibly repentance, so I wonder: Is the music I run to the reason why I hit a plateau? Does my running playlist need a major refresh?
If it does, a playlist curated by Wiz Khalifa, master of laid-back “stoner rap” and founder of Khalifa Kush, a hybrid cannabis brand, wouldn’t be my instinctual choice. Yet, here I am, adding Khalifa’s official running playlist to my Spotify library the day he launched as the face of Spotify’s Running Mode. It just so happens to be a full moon, which might explain my uncharacteristic behavior.
For those unaware: Spotify’s Running Mode lets listeners build playlists by duration, genre, and pace. It even has a few interval workout options that allow you to “customize the duration, intensity, music, and coaching cues,” which is structurally pretty basic compared to most coaching/workout apps—but the way it uses AI and music’s beats per minute to curate music and inform a workout is actually pretty novel. Practically speaking, I did find Running Mode a little hard to find (I had to search for it like it was an album or something).
But back to Wiz: “Church on the Move” is the running playlist Wiz has curated for this Spotify partnership to get us started.
Ranging from 127 to 165 beats per minute (BPM), one can only assume that this is the optimal range for Khalifa, but what about the rest of us? How do we know what tempo to aim for? Should we even be running with music at all?
To find the answers, I curated my own playlist of experts that included James McKirdy, founder and head coach of McKirdy Trained, Jasmin C. Hutchinson, Ph.D., professor, researcher, and director of the graduate program for sport and psychology at Springfield College, and Peter C. Wenger, MD, orthopedic and non-operative sports injury specialist at Princeton Sports and Family Medicine.
As humans, we have the innate ability to coordinate body movement with a rhythmic sound or external beat. It’s a phenomenon called auditory-motor synchronization, and it can sometimes happen subconsciously. When we hear a song (or even just a beat) while running, we naturally synchronize our running cadence with the rhythm, which can improve running efficiency.
“For runners who overstride, that can be a good thing. Music with an appropriate tempo can actually be used as a form of gait retraining,” Wenger says. Overstriding can increase braking forces and loading through the lower extremities. Depending on the individual runner, these mechanics can contribute to patellofemoral pain, shin pain, and other running-related overuse injuries.
“When runners increase their cadence slightly to align their movements with the music, they generally shorten their stride and land with their foot closer to their center of mass,” he adds. “This can reduce impact forces and some of the mechanical stress from overstriding on the knees, hips, and other joints.”
“Music can evoke many emotions in the listener, so when runners listen to upbeat or ‘happy’ music as well as music with affirming or motivational lyrics, it can have a positive effect on their mental state,” Hutchinson says.
“For a lot of people, running is an escape from stress at work and home. It’s a world where we can just have time for ourselves. When we’re listening to music, we are feeling things. We are putting ourselves into the music and the story that we’re listening to. It’s a natural response to also have a physical reaction, like running faster,” McKirdy adds.
According to a 2013 study conducted by Hutchinson and Costas I. Karageorghis, listening to music while running can improve performance by taking your attention off physical sensations of discomfort. It can also lower your perceived exertion. That’s why a run for the same distance, at the exact same pace, in the same exact place can feel significantly easier and even more enjoyable when accompanied by music.
“Sucker for Pain” — When Running with Music Puts You at a Disadvantage
“One of the greatest benefits of music is that it can distract you from fatigue, helping you push harder when you’ve got a tough workout on the training plan,” Wenger says. But music can become a disadvantage because it can also distract runners from early warning signs of injury or illness, such as increasing fatigue, pain, or changes in your running mechanics. “If you ignore your body’s warning signs consistently, it could lead to overuse injuries.”
Music can also be the reason runners push harder than intended on runs that need to be easy, by design. On those days, you should be running at a pace that lets you carry on a conversation comfortably to recover or prepare for a more challenging workout or race.
If adding music to the mix makes it hard for you to rein in your pace and keep it conversational on the easy days, it could negatively affect your other workouts (or race day) by preventing sufficient recovery and draining you of the energy you need to hit your target paces when it matters most.
“Stay Focused” – When Running with Music Becomes a Dangerous Distraction
(Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)
While ignoring internal signs because you’re distracted by music is concerning, missing external cues takes the dangers of running with music to another level.
“There’s nothing wrong with having headphones on when using a treadmill. But these days, blocking out ambient sounds with music when running outside can compromise your safety,” McKirdy says. “People on the roads are texting while driving. Even other runners are distracted by their phones all the time. So whether you’re running in an urban area or on a crowded trail, being able to hear and respond to your surroundings is incredibly important.”
If you do run outside with music, wear headphones that use bone conduction, have open-ear designs, or have modes that allow (or amplify) external sounds to play music without blocking you from hearing everything that’s happening around you.
The time of day you’re running should also be taken into consideration. If you’re running outside when it’s dark, skip the music so that you can be completely aware of pedestrians, traffic, and nearby activities, given your vision is already compromised. This is especially important for us female runners.
“Right One” – Dependence on Running with Music
As someone who trains with music but leaves the earbuds at home on race day, I worry that my reliance on music for motivation could impact my performance. Hutchinson begs to differ.
“Anecdotally, some people seem to be concerned about being dependent on music in training and then not being able to run with music in a race. But there is no evidence of this effect in the literature at all,” Hutchinson says.
“If anything, being able to train harder and longer with music will benefit runners during a race where they might not use or have access to music,” she says. “In fact, there is some emerging evidence that people often imagine music during sport, known as musical imagery. And this is perceived to have positive effects on performance and mental state.”
“Decisions” – Finding the Right Music to Run to
One hundred and eighty steps per minute.
For years, I’ve heard that this is the magic number for efficient running. And in theory, running to music with 180 BPM could help me accomplish that. But in reality, there’s no universal ideal cadence.
“Cadence varies with running speed, leg length, individual running characteristics, and biomechanics. And a tempo that’s dramatically different from someone’s natural running rhythm may actually disrupt their mechanics rather than improve them,” Wenger says. “If someone alters their natural stride mechanics or runs faster than their conditioning supports to match a certain tempo, it could contribute to excessive loading.”
Rather than forcing everyone to run at 180 steps per minute (SPM), the experts say it’s better to identify your natural cadence and, when appropriate, increase it by about 5–10%. For a runner naturally taking 160 steps per minute, that might mean targeting somewhere around 168–176 SPM.
To identify your natural cadence, first spend some time running without the earbuds or headphones. Use a smartwatch or a phone app that tracks running dynamics automatically during your workout. Then check your post-run summary or real-time data field for average SPM and create a playlist (or have Spotify/Wiz create one for you) based on that metric. To figure out the corresponding BPM of any track, you can use free websites such as SongBPM or use Spotify to curate a BPM-based playlist.
“Music should complement your running mechanics, not dictate them. The best running rhythm is the one that allows you to move efficiently, comfortably, and sustainably,” Wenger insists.
For easy runs, he suggests selecting music that complements your natural rhythm. For harder workouts, look for fast-paced songs, as they can elevate heart rate and adrenaline, potentially improving performance. And for cool-downs, go with calming music to lower stress hormones, aiding in post-run recovery.
Ultimately, the right music to run to is the music that resonates with you. In fact, a 2026 Psychology of Sport and Exercise study revealed that personally curating your own playlist may help you exercise almost 20% longer without making the effort feel harder.
“Finish Line” – The Takeaway
“Some of the professional runners we coach don’t want to have too much sensory overload. They don’t train with music because they just want to focus on the run. Then there are others who would rather escape, listening to music and letting their body be on autopilot—at least for easy runs,” McKirdy says.
When it comes to my Y2K-themed playlist, McKirdy affirms that I’m in good company. One of the pro female athletes he coaches listens to Britney Spears on her easy runs. He, however, prefers listening to Broadway show tunes.
“I don’t need Wiz to tell me what to listen to or that I’m doing a good job, but if that connection helps somebody move and have a great experience, then that’s wonderful. I’d personally like to run to a playlist curated by Lin-Manuel Miranda,” McKirdy shares.
As for me, one run with Khalifa’s “Church on the Move” was a good experiment, but not my vibe. And yet all of this talk about Lin-Manuel Miranda has me thinking about Moana, so I compare Backstreet Boys “I Want It That Way” to Alessia Cara’s version of “How Far I’ll Go.”
After discovering the Y2K classic is only 99 BPM but Cara’s hit is 181 BPM, I begin my playlist repentance by replacing my BSB favorite with one of the most famous songs Miranda has composed and take off running to find out how far (and fast) I can go with the right music.