Are you ready to combine your love of running and cycling? This June 5, celebrate Global Running Day by bringing the spirit of the run to your cycling classes! Many instructors, as fitness enthusiasts, not only cycle but also lace up their running shoes for fun runs, 10Ks, marathons, or triathlons. This makes a running-themed ride the perfect way to engage and inspire your class.
Imagine the energy of a marathon or a bustling city race, all channeled into your cycling studio. Whether you’re highlighting a local race, training for an event with some of your participants, or simply celebrating the joy of running, our extensive running-themed bucket playlist has covered you with 300 songs!
While Global Running Day is a fantastic opportunity to feature a running-themed ride, you can draw inspiration from any running event to create a profile like this any time of the year. If your city is gearing up for an international marathon, a major race that garners widespread support, or even a local fun run like a high school event, Turkey Trot, or a fundraising run hosted by your club, it’s the perfect chance to design a themed-cycling class around the excitement of that event. Highlighting these events not only brings a sense of community into your studio but also allows you to incorporate a unique flair into your class.
Spice up your playlist with a few songs that showcase your city’s culture and energy. For example, if you’re in London or Boston, include tracks by local artists or songs that capture the city’s spirit. Whether it’s the New York Marathon, the Sydney Marathon, or any major or neighborhood race, infusing your ride with local flavor will make the experience even more memorable and engaging for your participants.
Looking for inspiration? Revisit our acclaimed Boston Marathon profile from 2014, crafted by Master Spinning® Instructor Dixie Douville. It’s a fan favorite and can be easily updated with fresh tracks from our bucket playlist to suit your class’s vibe.
Here are a few must-have tracks to include in your running-themed playlist:
Running Up That Hill, Kate Bush, 4:58, 108 bpm
But of course you’re going to use this song! It’s a bit slow if you were to pedal on the beat (54 rpm), so either suggest moderate resistance at that cadence or pedal faster. There are also numerous remixes, some with a faster tempo. (Just do a search on your favorite streaming service.)
Running, ARIZONA, 3:01, 91 bpm
I am enamored with this song—the energy, the tempo, the voice, the way it makes me feel, everything about it! I even highlighted it as a Mainstream Music Monday track back in 2020. While the energy is strong enough for moderate to hard work at a higher cadence, it’s also not overpowering, so it can also fit in as a warm-up or a 3-minute recovery. We keep on running!
I Run For Life, Melissa Etheridge, 4:22, 94 bpm
“I Run For Life” is a powerful song written in the wake of Melissa Etheridge’s breast cancer diagnosis. Anyone who’s run in a breast cancer fundraising event is familiar with this song and has probably shed a few tears whenever they hear it. You can’t deny the impact this song has on runners and breast cancer survivors, or those who’ve lost loved ones to the disease. It’s a poignant song to add to your playlist as a warm-up or moderate endurance segment.
Global Running Day is about embracing the joys and benefits of running and inspiring others to get moving. Let’s bring that same enthusiasm to our cycling classes. Use this day to celebrate the runners among us, honor a triathlete in your class, or simply share your passion for fitness with an epic running-themed ride.
Remember, the finish line is just the beginning!