Editor’s note: A previous version of this article was authored by contributor David Zook.
Running is all about listening. To your body, to good sense and, of course, to the rhythms of the activity itself. In the interest of helping things along, some runners swear by running with music. And while there’s debate around the safety of running with any distraction, there is technology that allows you to hear street noise while moving to your favorite tunes.
The benefits of running with music have been well documented—from higher motivation to increased performance and more enjoyment. But silence can encourage the more meditative aspects of running. Some runners refuse to train with music in order to build their mental strength and have an extra edge on race day; others prefer to get lost in their thoughts or enjoy the sounds of nature.
Whether you’re pro- or anti-music while running, or into some hybrid form (e.g. music on the “dreadmill”; no music in nature), listening will likely play a major role in your running experience. Read on for the viewpoints of seven runners—including REI co-op members, contributors and staff—on what they listen to and why, and find inspiration for tuning into your own cadence.
Erik Valiente
Age: 35
Location: Los Angeles, California
Background: “I’m the Head Coach and Executive Director of BlacklistLA Run Organization. I started my running journey in 2007 with the LA Marathon, ran the Boston Marathon a few times and […] recently completed the Six Star World Marathon Major journey! Running is my life.” Valiente has been an REI member since 2022. [Editor’s Note: BlackListLA received a grant from the REI Cooperative Action Fund in 2023.]
Running Life: Valiente describes himself as a “runner above all,” running both road marathons and trail races, building speed on the track and leading community runs around the city. “Running is a way for me to connect with nature, my community, my ancestors, and running gives me purpose,” says Valiente. His favorite route is a 10-miler around the Mid City neighborhood, “bumping my music as the sun sets.”
Noise vs. Silence?: “I love to play music while I run because it adds a soundtrack to my life, as cheesy as that sounds,” says Valiente. “Music is as important to me as running. It adds color to my daily runs.” Valiente also finds inspiration in lyrics, which helps him develop new projects and outings for BlacklistLA and the wider LA running community.
What I Listen To: “I’m currently listening to my playlist ‘Three Wheel Motion,’ which is a nod to lowriders bumping oldies on their Sunday cruise[s]. I love [the artists] the Isley Brothers, Thee Sacred Souls, Jason Joshua, Dom Kennedy, Bad Bunny, Tems, Cleo Sol—oh my god, I can keep going on and on.”
Monica Prelle
Age: 44
Location: North America
Background: Prelle is a self-described lifelong runner who started out on the track and now finds a home in the mountains. “I’m a snowboarder, a cross-country skier and fly fisherperson who loves the mountains, and reading and writing.” Prelle also works for the co-op, editing internal communications, and has been an REI member since 2022.
Running Life: “I like it all,” says Prelle. “Racing any distance from the mile to the marathon on the road; trail and mountain running; and exploring new-to-me places on foot while traveling. Running takes us places and I am up for an destination or journey.”
Noise vs. Silence?: Team silence. “I run to quiet my mind [as well as] the noise of the world and my head.” Sounds of nature prevail for Prelle.
What I Listen To: “I love to listen to the birds, the wind in the trees, a rushing river and the patter of my own two feet as I run. As I settle into a rhythm, natural sounds and the chaos of the day fade away, and I listen to nothing. Silence is nice.”
Jessica Bernhard
Age: 38
Location: Seattle, Washington
Background: A runner and mom to two, as well as a freelance writer for parenting and outdoor publications. Bernhard has been an REI member since 2009.
Running Life: “I used to be a dedicated middle-distance road runner,” says Bernhard. “Now, I’m a casual runner (road and trail) trying to work my way back to fitness after having two kids in the last four years.”
Noise vs. Silence?: Bernhard will go unassisted from time to time, but usually, she’s all about running along to pop music or a podcast using her Shokz OpenRun headphones, which allow her to hear her surroundings as she bops along. “As [I … ] get back into running, I find that upbeat music helps me keep my legs turning over, especially when I’m dragging.”
What I Listen To: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are on steady rotation, and “[m]y favorite podcasts […] are the Ali on the Run Show (great for long runs) and Maybe Baby.”
Alan Ortega
Age: 35
Location: Dana Point, California
Background: Ortega is store manager at the REI in Laguna Hills and has been an REI member since 2013.
Running Life: “I love running on the trails as much as I can, but also love running around my neighborhood, out the door from my apartment onto the sand and through the harbor,” Ortega says. He often runs alone, but loves to get the miles in with friends, too.
Noise Vs. Silence?: Music and podcasts are Ortega’s favorite companions on the road, while he prefers audiobooks on the trail. But he’ll ditch the headphones when safety is of concern: “Sometimes I’ll run with only the sounds of the trail, especially if at night or early morning to make sure I can hear other things […] other than me.”
What I Listen To: Ortega is a true music lover, and has a punk-rock-forward rotation going including The Ramones, Cock Sparrer, Modern Lovers, Sonic Youth and The Beach Boys—”everything, but mostly pre-Pet Sounds at the moment.” For podcasts, he’ll turn to Conan O Brien Needs a Friend and Questlove Supreme, among many others. And when it comes to audiobooks, he’s into “a variety with lots of music autobiographies and memoirs,” from Hunger Makes a Modern Girl to “everything Simon Rich.”
Ever Meister
Age: 42
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Background: Meister, an REI program manager and editor for Uncommon Path and Expert Advice, was an avid runner for 15 years before foot surgery meant taking a different route to enjoying time outside. “I’m also a hiker, cyclist and novice kayaker. (Is ‘kayaker’ a word? Anyway, I’m new to kayaking.)” Meister has been an REI member since 2012.
Running Life: Meister describes themself as a “[p]roud middle-of-the-pack LSD [long-slow distance] runner, 6-time marathoner, road runner and treadmill devotee.” In 2022, they were the first-place nonbinary finisher in the 40–45 age group at the Twin Cities Marathon. They’re also a creature of habit: When they ran, “I liked to run the same routes on a kind of rotation because I prefer to zone out instead of stressing about directions; listening to music or a podcast really helped keep runs fresh when the sights were the same.”
Noise vs. Silence?: It depends. “There are definitely times when I’ve run in silence in order to have a clear mind, process something or even just enjoy natural sounds,” says Meister. Still, music or a podcast reigns supreme. “It’s amazing how you can feel the difference in your body and cadence as the tempo or mood of a song shifts or when you hit the dramatic part of an audiobook. And I love having a HUGE running playlist that I can just put on shuffle.”
What I Listen To: The podcast is Bhangra and Beyond. The host, DJ Rekha, “ran the legendary NYC party Basement Bhangra for years. There’s a great Basement Bhangra podcast that features some of the all-time top hits from that party and podcast. For some reason, Bhangra gets me fired up,” says Meister.
Emily Leu
Age: 35
Location: Elgin, IL
Background: Leu is a program specialist on the New Store Opening marketing team at REI. “I backpacked the southern third of the [Appalachian Trail] in 2014 (712 miles) with my now husband and my passion is distance running,” says Leu. She has two kids—3-year-old Betty and 2-year-old Teddy—a 13-year-old cat named Ophelia and a husky mix pup named Wyatt Earp. Leu has been an REI member since 2014.
Running Life: “I am a marathoner and a daily runner for mental health. I also love running whenever I travel—it’s a great way to get to know a new place.”
Noise vs. Silence?: Leu enjoys a podcast on a run. “I use my [Shokz] when I run though, because I want to be aware of my surroundings.”
What I Listen to: Podcasts include Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Las Culturistas, Radio Lab, and Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers. “I typically don’t listen to music unless a new album comes out and I can’t stop listening to it,” Leu explalins. “when Cowboy Carter and The Tortured Poets Department each came out I spent about a week listening to each on my runs.” She typically won’t listen to anything during a race, but, last year,Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour inspired a finely curated race playlist. “I actually PRed and made it into the top 10% of all finishers! One could say [Taylor] helped me run more Swiftly.”
Amanda Loudin
Age: 50s
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Background: “I’m a lifelong journalist and have been running for 30 years,” says Loudin. “I love the synergy between the two—many of my best ideas have emerged on a run.”
Running Life: Loudin used to be a marathoner, and now runs purely for pleasure while jumping into a trail race now and then. “I’m happiest when running shoulder to shoulder with my pack of running partners several times each week.”
Noise vs. Silence?: “I have never run a single step with music or a podcast,” Loudin reveals. “I love to hear the birds, babbling streams, and the sounds of nature on my runs. I also find the break from distractions a good way to work through life’s issues, come up with story ideas and simply let my mind wander.”
What I Listen To: “My surroundings.”