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Jodi Snowdon doesn’t run a step with-
out her headphones. Podcasts keep her
company some of the time, but more
often than not it’s a constant musical
beat that sets the tone for her runs. This
holds true whether training or racing.
“The fi rst run I did fi ve years ago,
I had no music and I was surprised
by how much I enjoyed the whole
experience,” says the 40-year-old from
Ontario. “But then my brother gave
me an iPod, and we joke that that’s
what turned me into a runner.”
Snowdon is in good company.
Multiple studies link the bene-
fi ts of combining the two. A 2015
study in the Journal of Strength and
Conditioning showed that music can
improve performance and acceler-
ate recovery during and after a 5K.
Another from Psychology of Sports
and Exercise found that runners
engaged in high-intensity running
may benefi t from music as a moti-
vational tool. According to Running
USA’s 2017 report, 55 percent of 7,000
runners surveyed listen to music
during their miles.
Like Snowdon, 46-year-old Malinda
Ann Hill, of Wynnewood, Pa., also
likes bringing her tunes along. She has
found it particularly useful during goal
races. “When I was going for my BQ
[Boston Marathon qualifi er], I had a
specifi c playlist set up to help whenthe going got tough,” she says. “I really
tune into the lyrics, and they motivate
me to work hard.”
Chris Lawhorn recognized the
connection between running and
music and launched an entire business
around it a decade ago. RunHundred.
com allows runners to tap into his vast
database of songs and create playlists
by tempo, genre, era or even time.
With his site at 50,000 subscribers
strong, Lawhorn has seen some trendsdevelop. In terms of beats per minute
(BPM), Lawhorn subscribes to the
theory that 180 is ideal if you want to
match steps per minute, but BPM isn’t
the only factor.
“Men and women process music
diff erently,” says the 39-year-old who
is based in Fort Wayne, Ind. “Women
tend to focus on the melodies, while
men are more interested in the lyrics.”
He says hip-hop ranks most popu-
lar among men, while women are
after a faster tempo and more light-
hearted lyrics. His largest subscriberdemographic is women in their 30s.
Like Lawhorn, Adrienne Perez is a
club DJ who is also a runner. Known
as DJ Kinky Loops, she designs
playlists for the popular, nationwide
Orangetheory Fitness exercise classes,
which contain a heavy dose of tread-
mill running.
“I tend to customize an intense,
high-energy build before a big push in
class and before all-out running speed
on the treadmills,” says Perez, 30. “I
think people work their hardest when
they have a good mix of songs they can
sing along to in their heads, or zone
out to and forget the discomfort.”
While it works for many, music isn’t
for every runner. Some might fi nd it a
distraction, certain races prohibit head-
phone use and safety is a consideration
as music can shut out nearby noises.
Lawhorn wonders if music will stay at
the forefront with runners or if podcasts
may win out. “Historically, music has
been the only accompaniment avail-
able,” he says. “But in 10 years, I wonder
if it will still be at the top.”
But Hill, who has been bringing
music along since the days of the
Walkman, can’t imagine it any other
way. “There’s a history to the songs I
listen to and lyrics can mean so much
to me,” she says. “Music can serve as
both a solace and a motivator to me
when I run.”55 PERCENT OF
RUNNERS LISTEN
TO MUSIC!
SCIENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES
By Amanda Loudin- “Remember I Told
You” by Nick Jonas,
Anne-Marie & Mike
Posner—113 BPM - “Most Girls”
by Hailee Stein-
feld—103 BPM- “Swish Swish” by
Katy Perry & Nicki
Minaj—120 BPM - “Despacito (Major
Lazer & Moska Remix)”
by Luis Fonsi & Daddy
Yankee—101 BPM- “Issues (Alan
Walker Remix)” by
Julia Michaels
—115 BPM - “Sounds Good to
Me” by Nelly
—101 BPM- “That’s What I Like
(Alan Walker Remix)”
by Bruno Mars
—134 BPM - “No Promises” by
Cheat Codes & Demi
Lovato—114 BPM- “You Don’t
Know Me” by Jax
Jones & Raye
—125 BPM - “Cut to the Feel-
ing” by Carly Rae
Jepsen—115 BPM
- “You Don’t
- “That’s What I Like
- “Issues (Alan
- “Swish Swish” by
For more science behind how music
affects your running click here.CM0817_FEAT_MUSIC.indd 31 7/27/17 12:38 PM