Beginning to run? Going out for your long run? Starting a treadmill tempo run? Whoever you are, whatever you’re doing, I’ve put together five songs you should be listening to as you run. They’ve inspired me to lose 6 stone, manage my Aspergers and live a happy, healthy life. So get ahead, plug in your Trek’s Titaniums or headphones in, listen and start running.

5 Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor

Ironically, a band called “Survivor” sung this. If you’re knew to running, you’ll probably be thinking exactly that, “will i survive?”, don’t give up, of course you will, after all you’ve risen up to the challenge, you’re in the thrill of the fight/run as the song says. Everything about this song resembles your fight against the road as you run, listen to the beat as you pound the pavement, it’s simply brilliant. It’s a song you need to listen to as you run.

It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight. Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival”

4 Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen

3 Don’t Stop Me Know – Queen

Everything about this song makes it brilliant. The slow start to the increased quick tempo, it’s ideal for a tempo treadmill run to be honest. Plus, no one will stop you, hint, hint. I remember running to this when running down a hill, the speed I ran was incredible, no one stopped me, it was the best feeling in the world or in other words, the runners high.

2 Lose Yourself – Eminem

Okay, I’m not a big fan of rap songs, but this one is simply genius. The start of the song is slow and builds and builds on you, especially as you run. Listen to the lyrics too:

“You better lose yourself in the music, the moment. You own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.“

Don’t these lyrics resemble your running journey, as a runner you know you only have one shot to run the best you can on that particularly day, take it, grab it with both hands and don’t look back. In other words “lose yourself in the moment”. If you’re reading this as a non-runner, especially if you’re young, take up a sport today, it doesn’t have to be running, grab it with both hands and do everything you possible can to be the best you can be.

1 The Whole Of The Moon – The Waterboys

This tops my list of running songs. I recently watched the finale of HBO’s “The Affair”. If you haven’t seen it, it’s on Sky in the UK, I really recommend it. Anyway, there’s a flash dance at a wedding based on this song. I really love the tune to it and the lyrics once again mean everything.

Underneath the stars, yes, you climbed on the ladder
With the wind in your sails
You came like a comet
Blazing your trail too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon

When will you see then whole of the moon? When will you climb your ladder? Grab your sails, fly like the wind, start your running journey today…