I fell in love with listening to audiobooks while running as I trained for my second marathon solo in 2006…almost 10 years of training later I’ve found that Podcasts for running are not only more accessible, but provide a different level of motivation than an audiobook, when you listen to other athletes it pushes you!
{Checkout my top 12 audiobooks for runners}.
Some people love a great story while they run, but for me it’s all about the mental benefit.
I want training tips, life hacks or motivational words from people who have been there and done that. Over the years I’ve seen podcasts come and go, I’ve gone through many that just weren’t that great and finally settled on some that are always in my weekly rotation.
Here are 19 podcasts for runners with a little something for every taste!
The Rich Roll Podcast
I stumbled upon Rich one day after hearing him as a guest on another show and at first wasn’t sure about his podcast. They are much longer than the norm and he tends to get off on random topics…yet he is just a super interesting person. While Rich is a plant-based and prefers long and steady to say CrossFit, Rich is OPEN to ideas and brings on people from a variety of backgrounds to share knowledge. I personally loved the episode on meditation, but there have been others on endurance training, Vegan, CrossFit and business that also kept me entertained for my long run.
Tone: Focus on positive, high quality nutrition, open your mind to new things
Favorite: This is hard, but loved the recent one with Ryan Holiday.
Runner Academy (No longer active)
I met Matt at the NMX expo, when I was speaking about online business, and was truly impressed with his knowledge and desire to provide valuable content to listeners. Matt doesn’t rely on just his own experience for the show, he brings in great experts to discuss ideas and help everyone improve.
Tone: Become a better runner by learning from the best – interview style.
Favorite: Is it wrong to pick the one I was on?! Matt Fitzgerald – any episode
The School of Greatness
Lewis Howes a former pro-football player turned lifestyle entrepreneur talks to people who have achieved greatness in all different areas of life. One or two podcasts {like the one about testosterone} didn’t thrill me, but most of them have given me ideas to try and a desire to dig deep.
Tone: Positive, powerful, energetic
Favorite: Kyle Maynard: The no excuse approach to success
Tim Ferriss Show
Admittedly when the show first started I didn’t care for it. Which is crazy because I have LOVED all of his books. Like everything Tim has improved and I never miss an episode now because it’s always packed with useful information not just for physical training and nutrition, but mental training that makes me better in running and life.
Tone: Learn, be extreme
Favorite: Interview with Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece
Jillian Michaels Show
I know, I know, but for some reason her voice MAKES me run. Her new shows aren’t always the best and I don’t agree with everything she says, but it gets me going. Older episodes are more informative for fitness and include a lot of great interviews, so really I recommend listening to anything she did prior to the middle of 2013…after that is fine, but a little more focused on her life than helpful lessons. Newer episodes are more focused on her passion for building your best life and less on talking about fitness.
Tone: Goofy, silly.
Favorite: Managing Fear show 189
Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger
This was a short lived podcast, by some old names in the online world, Johnny B Truant and Joel Runyon. While they are no longer making new episodes, I definitely encourage listening to what they put together. They relate a lot of things back to athletics and certainly make you want to better than you are in every area of life.
Tone: Silly banter, lots of informative info
Favorite: Loved them all
Ben Greenfield Fitness
If biohacks and off the wall ways to improve your life are the kind of thing that get you going, then this is the show for you. It’s another where I don’t listen to every episode, but instead pull those of the most interest. Like last week I listened to an older interview on body alignment for injury prevention and it was a great reminder not only while I was running, but afterwards to do some things differently.
Tone: Scientific and loves his sarcasm.
Favorite episode: He covers so many topics in each, I can’t remember exactly which episodes have the piece I loved
Endurance Planet
I have literally just found this podcast, so I don’t have tons to tell you yet. BUT if you are an endurance runner looking to improve how your body performs by taking care of it through nutrition this is the place to be. Tawnee talks with some of the top minds like Dr Phil Maffetone and Dr Tim Noakes. Also great for those of you in triathlon as there is more talk of that here.
Tone: Smart, focused training teaching with an interview styel
Favorite episode: Kelly Starrett: Holistic Approach to Improving your performance
Runners Connect
I love that Tina Muir is an elite runner who talks about real issues like hormones, using running to give back, along with all the questions runners have about nutrition and speed. This is a newer podcast, but it’s gained a quick following and I don’t see it slowing down any time soon.
No Meat Athlete
A great option for those attempting to go Vegan and those just wanting to find out how cleaning up your food could improve your running. It’s also great for those looking to push the boundaries and go for an Ultra. It’s a conversational podcasts that’s more relaxed and less educational focused like Ben Greenfield.
SPECIFIC RUN NICHE PODCASTS
These might not be a fit for everyone, but provide some great information in their area of specialty!
UltraRunner Podcasts
A focus as you might guess on everything from top athletes to the training tips, psychology and more that you’ll need to tackle an ultra endurance event.
Trail Runner Nation
A focus on real people doing pretty amazing things. This podcasts is obviously going to offer a lot more for you trail runners with tips that are specific to nutrition, footing, ultra events and more.
No Meat Athlete Radio
I admit this is one I don’t listen to as frequently, but tend to pull out topics of interest when I see them pop up. He’s a little more relaxed and unplanned than some of the others, which some people definitely prefer while they are running. Obviously he talks about plant-based athletes and how to be an endurance athlete in that lifestyle.
Katy Says
This podcast is focused first on alignment and body mechanics to help you move well and remain injury free. Second to that she takes on topics from healthy kids to getting out in nature to breast health. It’s informative, but you may pick and choose which shows feel most applicable to you.
BONUS: Here are 5 podcasts where I’ve been a guest!
What podcasts do you listen to?
Do you like them to be fitness related or not?
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i used to listen to the series podcast. it was the first time i ever ran with my phone to listen. Now that it's over i have listened to a few books but jut downloaded the jillian michaels and i am friends with Debbie who does Mojo 🙂
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LOVE when people actually know someone because they often have some great insights about it! I never tried Series, might have to find the old one's.
She might mean Serial. Which you should listen to if you haven't. I like to listen to running podcasts while running, and other topics if I am walking, doing dishes, etc. I also like Another Mother Runner (even though I don't have kids), and the Running Lifestyles show (somehow she gets big running personalities on her show).
I LOVE the GILMORE GUYS podcast 🙂 but Im quirky that way.
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Thanks for such a great list! I recently started listening to Pat Flynns podcasts on my tempo runs and I'm really enjoying it!
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Love him too!! I thought I might be getting too many business one's so I didn't include that or Entreprenuer on fire but I like it too
I absolutely love Runner's Connect (and Tina!), Another Mother Runner podcasts often have great guests like the one with Summer Sanders, and Jillian Michaels? Really? 🙂
This is well timed since I'll be doing a lot of miles all alone very soon and NEED a podcast to keep my brain occupied. When is Serial coming back????
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See I thought they were done with episodes for some reason I couldn't find them or i would have included it!
I like music when I run but podcasts when I walk. Happier by Gretchen Rubin is one of my favs. So is Pop Culture Happy Hour.
I adore Gretchen, but couldn't get in to the podcast. Maybe I would like it better if I wasn't running, I'll have to try again!
Great round up. I’m more likely to listen to podcasts on my long dog walks, but running is always a great topic to hear about. 😉
This is so great for my long runs! I love listening to audiobooks and podcasts, I often take advantage of audible sale books, which means I listen to some pretty random books!
I love podcasts, and this list gives me so many new ideas of what to listen to! Runners Connect and Marathon Training Academy are two current favorites of mine. I used to listen to Jillan Michaels back in 2012 and 2013, and I agree – not as good past mid-2013.
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Thanks so much for the recommendation Amanda! I am so happy to hear you are enjoying them, and I am trying to find guests that will suit every runner, so this means a lot to hear that you are suggesting your listeners check it out. If you have any guests (or anyone else reading) you would like to hear from, let me know, and I will see what I can do 🙂
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Such a great list – thank you!! I have just recently started to listen to podcasts, and I listen to a lot of news / politics / current affairs podcasts during "normal life" – but when training I ALWAYS listen to a sport-related one so will be checking out some of yours. I find Trail Runner Nation so interesting – they recently did a few episodes with Ann Trason and she is a hero of mine (if you are reading this and haven't heard of her google her as she is incredible!) but I do find them incredibly annoying at times…. Like when they did an entire podcast basically bashing triathletes. As a triathlete and a runner I didn't enjoy that!
I also really like Marathon Talk – it's from the UK but the two hosts have really good banter between them, and they have some very interesting interviews with different people throughout the running world. Recently they've been talking a lot about the doping scandal in athletics and interviewing various people about that.
And finally I like the DC Rainmaker podcast – he writes basically the biggest sports tech blog in the world (don't ever buy anything without reading his reviews) and his podcast is really interesting and informative!
Marathon talk.
Part goofy, part funny, part serious, totally entertaining.
Great list! I am always looking for new listening material for those sometimes dreaded long runs. I am a big fan of Marathon Training Academy. Definitely give them some more play time!
In portuguese, in Brazil, we have the podcast Por Falar em Corrida (something like Talk about running), the older podcast about running in Brazil. Check it out!
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