Runner’s World has released a playlist designed to help runners maintain the precise pace needed during tempo workouts. The collection features songs between 160 and 170 beats per minute, creating a musical backbone for one of the most demanding sessions in any training schedule.
What Makes Tempo Runs Different
To become a better runner, you have to vary the types of runs in your training. A casual four-miler after work and a meandering long run on the weekend will not make you significantly faster. Adding structured sessions like hill repeats, progression runs, and tempo workouts fills the gaps that easy running leaves behind.
Tempo runs push you out of your comfort zone. Every person has an anaerobic threshold, the highest intensity you can maintain before lactic acid and metabolic waste products start building up in your blood faster than your body can clear them. In simpler terms, it’s the point when it becomes difficult to talk while running.
Related: The Truth About the Run/Walk Method
Finding that balance matters. If you’re chatting up a storm, you haven’t reached your threshold yet. But if you’re sucking wind, you’ve gone too far. A tempo run keeps you in that narrow window of discomfort for 20 minutes or more, which is easier said than done when your legs are screaming and your lungs are burning.
The Science Behind the Burn
While tempo runs take a lot of energy and may not allow you to shut your brain off the same way other runs do, they are what ultimately makes you faster. These sessions get your body comfortable with difficult conditions. As you do more tempo runs, your anaerobic threshold rises, which means you can push even harder before hitting that wall.
How fast you need to go varies from person to person and depends heavily on conditions. Hot and humid days bring you to that sweet spot of difficulty a lot sooner than cold days will. One of the best ways to figure out where that spot is involves using a rate of perceived exertion, a 1-10 subjective scale to assess how a run feels. A tempo run should feel like a 7 out of 10 effort, challenging but sustainable.
Related: Top Headphones for Runners This Season
The hardest part of any tempo run is staying locked into that effort window once you’ve found it. It’s tempting to drift back into a more comfortable pace, especially when fatigue sets in around the halfway point. That’s where external cues like music can help maintain rhythm when internal motivation starts slipping.
A Playlist Built for Tempo Work
The playlist was designed with one goal in mind: helping runners lock in even when the going gets tough. Songs at 160 to 170 beats per minute should keep your legs churning along with the beat and distract you from the discomfort that naturally comes with sustained hard effort.
The collection is available across major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, giving runners flexibility depending on their preferred service.
