New Year… New Running Playlist? 

It’s the start of a new year and for many it is a time of looking ahead to the type of person you would like to be in 2024. In fact, as many as two thirds of Brits will be taking part in the tradition of making new year’s resolutions this year, according to the latest research*. 

According to the same study, over a third (35%) of resolutions in 2024 will focus on improving our health, and a quick Google will reveal a popular and accessible way to do this is through running. 

Whether you’re considering taking up running in 2024 for the first time, or if you want to up your game this year, a key factor could be what you’re listening to when exercising. 

In fact, results from a study at the University of Edinburgh suggest that listening to music when running could be key to beating mental fatigue**. 

Luckily for those looking for a bit of inspiration when it comes to building a killer motivational playlist, JustGiving has teamed up with 2,000 London Marathon fundraisers to suss out the ultimate running tracks. 

Eye of the Tiger tops the list as the most popular song to listen to whilst running, despite being over 45 years old, meanwhile Taylor Swift’s chart-topping reign continues with over 30 of her songs being entered as best to run to. 

Of those surveyed, more than nine out of ten (94%) said they listen to music when running, with over a third (35%) saying it keeps them motivated and more than one in 10 (13%) saying it helps them keep at the right pace when running long distance.  

Top 10 Training Tracks overall  

1. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (1982) 

1. Lose Yourself – Eminem (2002) 

1. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen (1978) 

1. Dog Days Are Over – Florence & The Machine (2008) 

1. Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush (1985) 

1. Mr Brightside – The Killers (2003) 

1. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (1975) 

1. Adore u – Fred Again (2023) 

1. Pump It – Black Eyed Peas (2009) 

1. Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift (2019) 

To listen to the top 20 training tracks on Spotify, click here. 

The study also revealed that many runners prefer training to songs that lyrically relate to the activity.  

Of the 6,000 songs entered, hundreds contained the words ‘run’ and ‘running’ in the title, including popular entries like, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush (number 5) and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (number 7). 

Some of the most perhaps unusual entries chosen by JustGiving’s fundraisers include celebratory hit Happy Birthday, Mariah Carey’s number one festive single All I Want For Christmas Is You and the most listened to song on YouTube, Baby Shark. 

As for the most streamed artist, it may come as no surprise that reigning queens of the music industry, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, have topped the list.  

Top 10 Artists to run to: 

1. Taylor Swift  

1. Beyonce 

1. Calvin Harris  

1. Queen  

1. Eminem  

1. Fred Again  

1. Dua Lipa  

1. Ed Sheeran  

1. Coldplay  

1. Drake 

Of the thousands of songs entered, more than 25 movie soundtracks were mentioned. 

Despite being released less than six months ago, six out of the eight songs from the Barbie movie soundtrack ere entered.  

Top 10 Movie Soundtracks to run to:  

1. Rocky – Eye of the Tiger  

1. Bohemian Rhapsody – Don’t Stop Me Now  

1. 8-Mile – Lose Yourself  

1. Barbie – Speed Drive  

1. Mamma Mia – Dancing Queen 

1. Rocketman – I’m Still Standing  

1. Greatest Showman – Greatest Show 

1. Footloose – Footloose  

1. Walking on Sunshine – Walking on Sunshine 

1. High School Musical – We’re All in This Together 

To listen to the top soundtrack hits on Spotify, click here.  

Meanwhile, of those surveyed, a quarter said they prefer listening to podcasts over music, with people aged 25-34 being most likely to listen. 

Conversational and interview-based podcasts were most popular, with Diary of A CEO hosted by Steven Bartlett in first, followed by Britain’s most popular podcasting couple Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing from Newly Weds.  

Top 10 podcasts to run to:  

1. Diary of a CEO 

1. Newly Weds  

1. Off Menu 

1. Sh**ged Married Annoyed  

1. The Joe Rogan Experience  

1. The Girls Bathroom 

1. Parenting Hell 

1. The Running Channel Podcast 

1. Help I Sexted My Boss 

1. High Performance Podcast 

Pascale Harvie, President and General Manager of JustGiving said: “As we begin a new year, hundreds of thousands of people across the country will commit to taking on a new challenge to raise money for a good cause.    

“Our research shows that the majority of people depend on music to help them stay motivated and so we hope our new Spotify playlist, filled with uplifting tracks chosen by our community of runners, will help people feel inspired to achieve their new year goals.” 

New year, new playlists, follow JustGiving on Spotify to listen to the top training hits, artists and movie anthems that will help you achieve your 2024 fundraising and fitness goals. 

NOTES TO EDITOR

For further information contact  press@justgiving.com

JustGiving is one of many fundraising platforms that people can choose from when fundraising for events such as the London Marathon.   

* https://www.finder.com/uk/new-years-resolution-statistics 

** https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2021/running-to-music-helps-combats-mental-fatigue  

About JustGiving
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