I've been a runner all my life. Way back in the day, I would've described myself as pretty good at running. I knocked out sub-five-minute miles and completed a marathon.
Nowadays, well, I'm just trying to get a few miles done without gasping for air or getting injured. So, when I was tasked with compiling a list of good podcasts to listen to while running, my whole goal was to recommend shows that would help a long run fly by faster. I am not trying to turn you into an elite runner by loading you up with running podcast after running podcast to motivate you through your ultra marathon training sessions. If you want motivation while running, maybe just listen to loud music?
If you're listening to a podcast, chances are you're trying to ease your way through each mile and you don't really want a running coach whispering training tips in your ear. No, you want to be captivated and forget your breathing is heavy. A fitness podcast, no matter how interesting, probably won't be the compelling distraction you're looking for. You want a great podcast that will make you laugh so hard you forget your legs hurt.
I hope my selections, which are largely my own favorite running podcasts, help you power through your next jog or training run. Enjoy and happy running.
1. Slow Burn
Slate's Slow Burn tells stories you probably think you know — Watergate, Biggie & Tupac, the Clinton impeachment — but includes all the details and context you never really knew. Each season tells a new story. I listened to the first season while running then quickly devoured the rest. I can't recommend any season over the other, they're all fascinating. You may end up running an extra mile just to finish an episode.
2. Reply All
I'm new to Reply All but it has quickly become a favorite. The popular podcast tries to make some sense of the internet. It is, at times, deeply reported and, at other times, witty and collegial. Hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman do a great job of walking you through some of the stranger corners of the internet you might not have ever visited.
Episodes typically run anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The show is fun and engrossing and will hopefully help you get through your run. If you're looking for somewhere to start, their recent episode on QAnon is an absolute must-listen.
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3. Binge Mode
If you like to go deep — I mean deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep — into fandom, then The Ringer's Binge Mode might be a perfect running podcast for you. It all started with hosts Jason Concepcion and Mallory Rubin creating impossibly detailed episodes while rewatching every single episode of Game of Thrones in the run-up to the final season. It's wildly good.
But since GOT ended, the pod has also jumped into other popular franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter.
The show works for two reasons:
Concepcion and Rubin are intensely knowledgeable.
Concepcion and Rubin are intensely passionate. (Just bringing up Jon Snow's direwolf Ghost makes Rubin cry nearly every time.)
It's a professional show, but it is run by real fans and the result is a truly delightful podcast. You'll learn so much about the show/book/movie they're covering that you'll hardly notice how many miles you've covered.
4. Beautiful / Anonymous
I'm a big fan of comedian Chris Gethard. I loved his now-defunct, DIY, late-night show that was welcoming, hilarious, and followed by a deeply loyal cult of fans. His podcast Beautiful / Anonymous has a simple conceit: A random person calls in and talks with Gethard for exactly one hour. There are no rules, no structure, no nothing. Gethard is gentle but curious, so he'll end up prodding callers to share because he's genuinely interested.
Sometimes callers ring Gethard to shoot the shit and joke around, other times you get wild stories. Here's one where a caller was about to report to prison for a years-long sentence. I love listening to Beautiful / Anonymous on my longest runs because the show has a nice, gentle pace, but you always want to finish the hour-long episode.
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5. Serial
I mean, I shouldn't have to sell you on Serial. It's an hugely popular show. But if you haven't listened to the podcast by now — all of its seasons — you simply have to. There aren't new episodes right now, but it's totally worth going back and listening to each narrative-driven season. So many shows have taken inspiration from Serial, and for good reason, it's a great podcast.
The most recent season slowly navigates its way through the legal system in Cleveland, which may sounds boring, but is some how both fascinating and, frankly, dispiriting. But you won't be bored on your run, that's for sure.
6. Nice White Parents
Speaking of Serial, Nice White Parents technically isn't a new season of Serial, but it is a production from the same company, and its style kind of resembles its parent podcast. Basically, Nice White Parents walks you through how messed up and segregated schools remain in America.
Its story centers on one school in New York City and details how a particular pattern of segregation repeated itself over and over. But it ends with, maybe, a bit of hope. Trust me, you'll fly though this podcast on a few runs.
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7. You Must Remember This
In case you're not sensing a theme, I think the best running podcasts wrap you up in a good story. You Must Remember This is as good as any podcast in doing just that. It tells the weird and forgotten stories of old Hollywood in stunning depth. If you're looking for a place to start, I recommend this 2017 season in which host and producer Karina Longworth tells the story of Charles Manson and Hollywood.
8. The Connect
The Connect is a new offering from The Ringer. It's an interesting idea: Take two seemingly quite different movies but talk about them through a shared theme.The show really thrives because of the banter between hosts Jason Concepcion (who also co-hosts Binge Mode) and Shea Serrano. They're hilarious and play off one another really well. You'll laugh enough that it won't suck so bad that you're running. I particularly enjoyed the episode about "mean mentors," which focused on Whiplash and The Devil Wears Prada.
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9. The Sneak
I loved both seasons of The Sneak, a true crime podcast from USA Today that tells stories that intersect with sports. And if you like to run, I'm assuming there's a decent chance you also like sports, so this is a great option.
The second season dives deep into the story of Murph the Surf, a legendary jewel thief, surfer, con-man, and convicted murderer. It's a wildly entertaining story but also one that makes certain not to glorify horrific crime. You'll finish the show and wish there were more.
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10. 30 for 30 podcasts
Keeping with the sports theme, ESPN's 30 for 30 podcasts takes its hit documentary format and applies it to podcasts. The most recent season, a seven-episode series called "Heavy Medals," tells the story of the couple that made USA gymnastics into a powerhouse, but fostered a culture of abuse along the way.
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