Running With Music: Our Favorite Songs and Gear For the Road

The right song can get you up that next hill, help you crush a PR and change the entire mood of your workout. There’s a reason the Rocky theme song blasts in locker rooms across the country before a big game. While that song might not help you hit that last 400-meter sprint, there’s bound to be a song that will. Gear Patrol staffers are as particular about their tunes as we are with the gear we use to listen to to them.

Whether you’re gearing up for a spring race, or have hit a rut in your workout routine and need something new to listen to, our team has a new playlist to get you through your workout of the day. Plus, here’s the gear you need to carry and listen to that music.

While our gear picks vary, our entire team jams to music on either Spotify or Apple Music — except for one lone wolf who sticks with Amazon Music. Here, Gear Patrol staffers share the songs that pump them up and the gear that gets them there, too.

Apple Music: $10/month

Tim Murray, Account Manager

“Father of Mine by Everclear is a 90’s classic that can shake a bad mood or get you amped — you decide!”

What We Use and How We Carry It
Airpods by Apple $159
iPhone 7 by Apple $449+
Fulton 3/4 Pant by Wolaco $88

Kyle Snarr, Head of Marketing

“Rococo by Arcade Fire is the ultimate sleeper power song. I launch this at the very end of my run when I think I’ve got absolutely nothing left. And somehow, every time, I find 4 more minutes of running inside of me that builds up to a full sprint.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
iPhone 8 by Apple $599+
Challenger Shorts by Nike $35

Will Price, Staff Writer

“My running music needs to be fairly consistent in pace, else I’ll start speeding up and slowing down in bursts with the cadence of the song. Brockhampton’s discography in 1999 Wildfire is the ideal mix of fast, weird, clever and funny. This track — which possesses the very relatable lyric ‘make me sweat like exercise, double up, milkshake and fries’ — goes hard enough keep it steady for miles on end. And any 4-minute song that can fit bars like ‘Well, now we’re eating grapes, and the finest cheese / Achieving wisdom from the wizards we were tryna be’ and ‘I bought a castle in the Shire with the moat and the catapult / I keep it clean with my medieval flow’ deserves multiple listens.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
Galaxy S9 by Samsung $720
Running Belt by Nacuwa $13

Chase Pellerin, Staff Photographer

“Dolly Parton is 73 years old and is still a star. How can you listen to Here I Am and not be inspired to get off the couch?”

What We Use and How We Carry It
iPhone 6 by Apple $200
Sportswear Joggers by Nike $55

Sam Kephart, Platform Coordinator

“I like to sing while I run and Humble. (Skrillex Remix) has been my jam since it came out. I also like a song that can help me push my pace and it always makes me go faster when it starts to play.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
iPhone 7 Plus by Apple $569+
Fast & Free 7/8 Tight II by Lululemon $128

JD DiGiovanni, Assistant Editor

“As they say, slow and steady wins the race — whether that’s your workout or the next hill sprint. Bubbles Buried in This Jungle is slow and chugging but determined, much like my efforts regarding all things cardio.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
iPhone XS by Apple $699+
Ventilated Arm Band by Nike $30

Bryan Campbell, Staff Writer

“I randomly came across Radio Moscow a while back and it has been one of my go-to gym listens ever since. I Just Don’t Know is the opening song to their album Brain Cycles and it’s a hell of an opener. It sets the pace for the rest of the album and coincidently, the uptempo beat does a solid job of helping me keep pace on the treadmill or rowing machine.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
X4 by Jaybird $100+
Foundation Short 7″ by Ten Thousand $58

Tucker Bowe, Staff Writer

“I’ve had a dedicated ‘run’ playlist for almost a decade. I continuously switch up tracks on the list, but there have been a few constants over the years. Headstrong by Trapt is one of them. Why? Because it’s fast-paced and angry, which is exactly how I like to run.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
Mighty Vibe by Mighty $86
Pace Breaker Short 9″ by Lululemon $68

Andy Frakes, Editorial Assistant

“I could say so much about Mas Ysa — I got really into his music in college, when I was running 60-80 miles a week and simultaneously going through some strange and difficult stuff in my personal life. 2015 was weird. Anyway, Why is for anyone needing a long-run morale boost (upbeat, synth-heavy tracks) and/or something cathartic to howl along with (sharp, introspective lyrics) in the privacy of your car.”

What We Use and How We Carry It
Cell Phone Arm Band by Tribe $10
Wireless Earbuds by Anker $60

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