--- title: Best Podcasts to Listen to While Running description: From love to productivity, these podcasts will keep you inspired canonical: https://time.com/4307106/best-running-podcasts/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-27T17:00:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T17:01:16.538Z article:section: Health og:title: 8 Podcasts That Will Help Distract You on a Long Run og:description: From love to productivity, these podcasts will keep you inspired og:url: https://time.com/4307106/best-running-podcasts/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a6235ea1162cae7/698878bfcd1bba75d86fee8d/running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment-motto-stock og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 8 Podcasts That Will Help Distract You on a Long Run twitter:description: From love to productivity, these podcasts will keep you inspired twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a6235ea1162cae7/698878bfcd1bba75d86fee8d/running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 8 Podcasts That Will Help Distract You on a Long Run > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=3925fa46-c439-4515-92cb-a69ad42b204d&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Apr 27, 2016 5:00 PM UTC  Molly Cranna for TIME by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Apr 27, 2016 5:00 PM UTC When a friend’s sister recently told me that she listens to podcasts while running, I was intrigued, but also skeptical. How do you run without a beat? How can you daydream about made-up situations that probably won’t happen without inspiring music? (I tend to spend most of my runs fantasizing about what I’d do if I ever won the lottery, which just seems to pair really well with a [Beyoncé](http://news.health.com/2014/12/08/15-beyonce-songs-that-will-make-you-want-to-work-out/) soundtrack.) But a week later, when another friend mentioned he completed a half marathon while listening entirely to podcasts, I figured it was worth trying. “Getting involved in a great podcast makes the time go faster during your run, since you’re not just watching the time slowly go by,” says Jenn Mathis, a regional fitness director from Gold’s Gym. “They also allow you to multi-task during a workout, since you can strengthen your body _and_ mind at the same time.” Here, eight podcasts that will help those miles fly by. **_Health.com_**_:_ [_15 Running Tips You Need to Know_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20841202,00.html?xid=time) **The Moth** The Moth has been around as a not-for-profit program since 1997, and includes both its public radio show (“The Moth Radio Hour”) and accompanying podcast. Episodes feature stories that often touch upon a similar theme, such as ghosts or “women in the world.” The stories are read aloud by real people in front of a live audience, which makes it easy to get swept up in the words. **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983)_, or listen to hundreds of old episodes on The Moth App (available on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-moth/id667571113?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4) _and_ [_Google Play_](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.themoth.android&hl=en)_)._ **This American Life** If the first season of _Serial_ is the only podcast you’ve ever listened to, you may remember that _This American Life_ is its parent show. Each episode covers a different theme, which is performed through a mix of journalism, essays, or comedy. The show has a handy [Favorites Page](http://www.thisamericanlife.org/favorites), a great place to start listening if you’re new. **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/this-american-life/id201671138?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4)_, or purchase archived episodes on_ [_Amazon MP3_](http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=0&sort=titlerank&ref%5F=sr%5Fgrid%5Ftitlerank&y=0&qid=1305148250&field-keywords=this%20american%20life&url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music#) _or_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/this-american-life/id331038800?ign-mpt=uo%3D4)_._ **Modern Love** The Modern Love Podcast is an offshoot of the weekly [_New York Times_ series](http://www.nytimes.com/column/modern-love) of the same name in which readers submit original essays about love. The podcast readings are done by celebrities and other public figures—in [the most recent episode](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/fashion/america-fererra-modern-love-the-podcast.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fmodern-love), the actress America Ferrera reads Mara Gordon’s essay about a date in Tanzania. **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZContentLink.woa/wa/link?path=modernlove) _or_ [_Stitcher_](http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/wbur/modern-love)_._ **The Tim Ferriss Show** The most popular business podcast on iTunes boasts more than 60 million (!) downloads. In each episode, Tim Ferriss, an entrepreneur and the author of _The 4-Hour Workweek_, interviews a different successful person in order to deconstruct their habits, routines, and how they’ve gotten where they are. **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?mt=2) _or_ [_FeedBurner_](http://feeds.feedburner.com/thetimferrissshow)_._ **_Health.com_**_:_ [_The Best Running Shoes for Spring 2016_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20985181,00.html?xid=time) **Mystery Show** _Health_‘s digital deputy editor Christine Mattheis is a fan of this podcast, which she often listens to during workouts. “It’s entertaining and helps me focus on something other than how tired I am,” she says. Narrated by Starlee Kine, each episode centers around a different “mystery” that requires more than just a quick web search to solve. In one episode, Kine set out to determine Jack Gyllenhaal’s height; in another, she tracked down the owner of a license plate that read “I LUV 911”. **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mystery-show/id952044185?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4) _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/0JZ2opnltlJ6PJxlZEpx9r)_._ **How to Be Amazing With Michael Ian Black** There are 27 episodes so far in comedian Michael Ian Black’s audioshow, each an in-depth interview with an “amazing” public figure. Recent guests include big names like Amy Schumer, Tavi Gavinson, Tom Colicchio, Nate Silver, and Megan Mullaly. **_How to listen:_** _Stream episodes on_ [_amazon.com/amazing_](http://www.audible.com/series?asin=B00TZH1L6Q&source%5Fcode=AUDORWS0212159CMI)_, or listen through the Audible app, which is available on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audiobooks-from-audible/id379693831?mt=8)_,_ [_Google Play_](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application&hl=en)_, and_ [_Windows_](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/audiobooks-from-audible/9wzdncrfj1cr)_._ **Overdue** You know all those great works of literature that you’ve always meant to read, or sort of skimmed in high school English class but didn’t really process? Each week, hosts Andrew Cunningham and Craig Getting read and dissect one such “overdue” book, from _Flowers in the Attic_ to _Les Miserables_. **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/overdue/id602003021) _or_ [_Stitcher_](http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/overdue-podcast/overdue)_._ **_Health.com:_** [_Find the Right Running Shoes_](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411003,00.html?xid=time) **Surprisingly Awesome** The title says it all: Adam Davidson and Adam McKay spend each episode of their podcast discussing random things that you may be surprised to find out are actually pretty awesome. Prepare to have a newfound respect for adhesives, frequent flyer miles, and pigeons (yes, really). **_How to listen:_** _Subscribe on_ [_iTunes_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1053898371) _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/7KBg45FVLskMTXDCq4tf5y)_, or listen on their_ [_website_](https://gimletmedia.com/show/surprisingly-awesome/)_._ [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://www.health.com/fitness/best-podcasts?xid=time) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4307106/best-running-podcasts/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4307106/best-running-podcasts/"},"headline":"8 Podcasts That Will Help Distract You on a Long Run","datePublished":"2016-04-27T17:00:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T17:01:16.538Z","description":"From love to productivity, these podcasts will keep you inspired","url":"https://time.com/4307106/best-running-podcasts/","keywords":["Exercise & Fitness","Exercise","Running"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a6235ea1162cae7/698878bfcd1bba75d86fee8d/running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Health.com","jobTitle":"Contributor","url":"https://time.com/author/health-com/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a6235ea1162cae7/698878bfcd1bba75d86fee8d/running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment-motto-stock","caption":"running-jumping-sports-shoes-fitness-health-success-betterment-motto-stock","creditText":"Molly Cranna for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/exercisefitness/","name":"Exercise & Fitness"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4307106/best-running-podcasts/","name":"8 Podcasts That Will Help Distract You on a Long Run"}}]}] ```