Once when milling about a race starting line, I overheard a couple having a horrible realization: They shared a (free) Spotify account and would not be able to listen to their respective race-day playlists at the same time.
Frantically, they assessed options as the minutes to the race gun ticked by. One could create a new account, but would they have time to rebuild the half marathon playlist? Did they know anyone who had a premium account? The woman offered to be the martyr and run without music. But then she backpedaled.
I hate to say I don’t know how it turned out. But if it was anything like how I’d be without my GPS watch, I’d say not well.
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Their panic makes sense. Music can be genuinely useful on the run: It can help increase cadence, allowing runners to move more quickly and efficiently, and over longer distances, that quicker turnover may help keep form from falling apart as fatigue sets in, says Laura Norris, MS, a run coach and exercise scientist. Plus, music can distract from the inevitable discomfort of a workout or race, essentially pairing something unpleasant with something enjoyable.
I stopped listening to music while running more than a decade ago, thanks largely to consistent training partners during workouts and long runs. And then I got used to “raw dogging it” as people say (and I cringe). But I think I’m in the minority, which means there are probably many people like the ones I witnessed who don’t know what to do if their music (or audio) fails them on race day.
The good news is there’s a way to train for that.
The Risks of Relying on Music
If we take a step back, Norris says, there’s a problem when runners rely too heavily on anything: GPS watches (*raises hand*), a certain gel or fuel source, the weather forecast. Because something can go wrong, and if we’re not flexible enough to adapt, it can derail a key workout or race.
“A sign of being inflexible is not starting a workout or throwing the brakes on a workout without music or a podcast,” Norris says. “If that’s a non-starter, we need to practice in training to feel more confident” if something doesn’t go the way we’d planned.
It’s not inherently a problem—it just shows an area where you could build more adaptability.
How to Prepare for a Race Day With No Music
Elite marathoner Jess McClain, who set the women’s American course record at the Boston Marathon in 2026 (2:20:49), has used music to help reclaim her love of running. Today, she tunes into a podcast or a favorite playlist for easy or solo runs. But come race day, she ditches the headphones and warms up with teammates or competitors before lining up audio-free.
McClain has never struggled during a race because of a lack of music, she tells Runner’s World by email.
“I love racing and being in the moment with nothing else on my mind,” McClain says. “There’s so much going on in road racing—bottles, fueling stations, tangents, dips in the road, turns—that I’m not really focused on the lack of music.”
She recommends runners use music as a tool for workouts, long runs, and days you might need extra motivation, but to go without for several runs “so you can practice
being in your own head.” Here, she says, you can work on how you talk to yourself when things aren’t necessarily perfect.
I surveyed a handful of non-elite runners about their music and audio practices during training and racing. Some only listened to something during hard workouts—a distraction tool—and others ditched the music during workouts and races so they could turn inward.
New York-based Sarah Schulz, 36, is training for the New York City Marathon. Because of her job demands and extra-early morning workouts, she usually trains alone.
“Music helps me stay motivated and energized when I don’t have a buddy to pass the time with and I’m grumpy about getting out early,” she tells Runner’s World. But she never listens to anything while racing on the track (“That wouldn’t be appropriate!”), and on the roads, Schulz needs to focus. “So much of the race expertise will be lost if I’m tuned out. Plus, I think it’s technically not allowed under rules of competition.” (She’s not wrong about the rules, by the way.)
Schulz acknowledges that it is daunting to look down a hard workout without something in your ear. But running, and running well, requires focus and the ability to check in with your body and adjust: your breathing, your form. “Music can be a distraction from that,” she says. She recommends starting small: ditching music on a shakeout run or during a track workout when the reps are shorter.
Tanner Bowden, 35, a Vermont-based journalist, will listen to music or podcasts during training, but only if it’s intentional. “If I find myself scrolling through podcast episodes looking for something just for the sake of listening, I know it’s [just a distraction]. If I’m genuinely looking forward to putting something on and know what I want, I will.”
He sets clear rules when he switches to no music: No music on speedwork days or long runs. “Once you do a long 16 or 18 miles without it, you’ll find you don’t need it. Just make the choice and let the mind handle the rest. Think of it as part of the training program.”
How to Wean Off Music on the Run
If the idea of running without music sounds daunting, know that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing shift. Norris recommends easing into it by practicing on different types of runs in ways that feel manageable.
- On easy runs: For runners who feel hesitant about going without music, the easiest place to start is with a short, easy run, says Norris. Try skipping audio on your shortest run of the week.
- On long runs: Consider going without music for the first 6 to 8 miles, then turning it on later. “This approach can provide a needed boost when fatigue is higher, while still providing the benefits of running without music,” she explains.
- For harder workouts or race-pace sessions: Ease in by using music for the warmup and cooldown, while doing the tempo work or intervals without it. Norris says this allows runners to tune into their physiological cues (think: breathing, effort, form).
What Happens if You Lose Your Music on Race Day
If you’ve practiced runs without music, you’ll have some idea what to expect if race day throws you a curveball (your phone dies, your playlist doesn’t load because of bad service, you lose an earbud).
And if you haven’t, Norris says the worst thing you can do is panic.
“If the initial reaction is panic or stress, your heart rate will go up, your breathing rate will spike,” she says. This can set off a stress response that takes a toll on your body, which running already does. “Take a few calming breaths.”
Once you’ve calmed yourself, Norris says to engage in the race environment. It doesn’t have to be a major with hundreds of thousands of spectators; most races will have some crowd support, including music stations along the way.
Immerse yourself, “wave and smile back to the crowd, engage with the runners around you,” she says. “That will give your brain the slight distraction you would have had with your music.”
Heather Caplan, a Colorado-based registered dietitian and cofounder of Lane 9, finds there is plenty to distract her during races that she doesn’t need anything in her ears the whole time. “And honestly, my life is pretty noisy. I have three kids and a dog. I’m on Zoom calls. I work in coffee shops, so I think a break from something in my ear is a relief.”
At the end of the day, Norris says, music, audiobooks, podcasts are training tools, not an indicator of fitness. Even if your music dies, “you still have your fitness.”
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
