One of my favorite episodes of our podcast features Charlie Harding, a co-host of the Switched on Pop podcast. In it, Charlie talks about the power of music—and why your favorite running song might stop someone else in her tracks. 

I say this as a preamble to sharing the playlist that fired me up during Sunday’s Portland Half-Marathon. It’s a mix of longtime favorites plus a few newer songs. Knowing it won’t be everyone’s, ahem, jam, here are a few other race-day playlists from some of our BAMRbassadors. This one serenaded 17-year-old Maya as her mother, Anna, and Anna’s bestie, Rhianna, pushed Maya in the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday. Here’s one from Lorinda that is a compilation of suggestions from her 10 (!) children. And this mega 5+-hour playlist of “Pump Up Run Songs” is courtesy of Jessica.

PICK + CHOOSE FROM THE ANOTHER MOTHER RUNNER PORTLAND HALF-MARATHON PLAYLIST

Lovely Day: Bill Withers 

Wake Me Up: Avicii

The Bolter: Taylor Swift (surprisingly, only three TSwift songs made the cut!)

Cornflake Girl: Florence + The Machine

Hate That You Know Me: Bleachers

FourFiveSeconds: Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney

Shut Off the Lights: Bastille

Breathe Easy: Matisyahu

I Got 5 on It: Luniz, Michael Marshall

Vampire: Olivia Rodrigo (always a fan, but even more so since seeing her in concert)

Love Me Badder: Elliphant

The Greatest: Sia, Kendrick Lamar

May I Have This Dance: Francis and the Lights, Chance the Rapper (just discovered this song!)

Run away with Me: Carly Rae Jepsen

Stop This Flame: Celeste

High Hopes: Panic! At the Disco

Bad Idea Right: Olivia Rodrigo (this is my current pre-run psych-song!)

Karma: Taylor Swift 

Disturbia: Rihanna

Criminals: Meghan Trainor (thank you, Shazam–this is opener to Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple”)

I Like It, I Love It: Lyrics Born 

Return of the Mack: Mark Morrison (encapsulated joy!) 

Unstoppable: Sia (a slow build but then, vroooom!)

Get Him Back! Olivia Rodrigo 

But Daddy I Love Him: Taylor Swift 

Push: Ryan Gosling

Right Round: Flo Rida, Kesha

Dancing on My Own: Robyn (reminds me of my younger daughter, whom I draw strength from)

Club Can’t Handle Me: Flo Rida 

Wild Ones: Flo Rida, Sia

Stronger: Britney Spears (my “power song” in 2007!!) 

I Like It: Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull

F*ck You: CeeLo Green (this one goes out w/ love to the the Lake Placid crew…)

The Edge of Glory: Lady Gaga

More: Usher (this starts the dig-deep-and-hold-on portion of the playlist..)

DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love: Usher, Pitbull

Can’t Hold Us: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Indigo: Chris Brown (apologies, but it reminds me of a hip hop dance my son performed…)

Hey Ya! Outkast

I Gotta Feeling: Black Eyed Peas

Live Your Life: T.I., Rihanna