When I’m running for hours, the voices in my head become the soundtrack of my mind. Some days, that soundtrack is positive. Some days, it’s full of random thoughts where I lose myself in varying reflections and stories. Other days, it’s downright negative and detrimental to survival. I’m a runner who greatly prefers a real soundtrack to the thoughts in my brain. When moments of a run or race get tough, I can focus on the lyrics of songs and the beat of the music to distract me from the discomfort, pain and negative self-talk.

As I prepare to run the Chicago Marathon in 4 weeks, I’ve been working on my #RunHappy Marathon Playlist. Thank you to all of you who shared your favorite running songs with me on Facebook so I could add them to my list. Although I have a little bit of every genre of music, I love finding songs that have lyrics that share bits of inspiration while I’m running.

Here is my #RunHappy Marathon Playlist and 26 song lyrics that keep me motivated and feeling strong while running.

rUnladylike’s #RunHappy Marathon Playlist

This playlist has 72 songs and is 4 hours and 23 minutes. It’s organized in alphabetical order by song name. You can access this #RunHappy Marathon Playlist on Spotify here. Brooks Running will be picking 3 to 5 songs from this list to create the ultimate running playlist, so be on the lookout for it on their Brooks Blog in the coming weeks.

Jorge Quintero – 300 Violin Orchestra
Marvin Gaye – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Robert Randolph & The Family Band – Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That
Within Temptation – And We Run
Andy Grammer – Back Home
Jessie J – Bang Bang
7Lions – Born 2 Run
Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us
Gideonz Army – Celebrity
The Fratellis – Chelsea Dagger
Darius Rucker – Come Back Song
KONGOS – Come With Me Now
David Guetta – Crank It Up
Ed Sheeran – Don’t
Jay Sean – Down
Iggy Azalea – Fancy
Pitbull – Fireball
Nicki Minaj – Fly
Cee Lo Green – Forget You
Bronze Radio Return – Further On
Ella Henderson – Ghost
DJ Fresh – Golddust
Mandisa – Good Morning
Pharrell Williams – Happy
Randy Houser – How Country Feels
The Downtown Fiction – I Just Wanna Run
AJR – I’m Ready
TobyMac – Ignition
50 Cent – In Da Club
House Of Pain – Jump Around
Gideonz Army – Mainstream
Nicki Minaj – Masquerade
Cold War Kids – Miracle Mile
Austin Mahone – Mmm Yeah
Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark
Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World
Kelly Clarkson – People Like Us
Fort Minor  – Remember The Name
Olly Murs – Right Place Right Time
Katy Perry – Roar
Chamillionaire – Rock Star
Cypress Hill – (Rock) Superstar
The Knux – Run
Garbage – Run Baby Run
Natasha Bedingfield – Run-Run-Run
Bruno Mars – Runaway Baby
will.i.am – Scream & Shout
Usher – She Came to Give It to You
Becky G – Shower
Walk the Moon – Shut Up and Dance
Ed Sheeran – Sing
Kanye West – Stronger
Nicki Minaj – Super Bass
Jason Derulo – Talk Dirty
Brendan James – The Fall
Gym Class Heroes – The Fighter
Aloe Blacc – The Man
Afrojack – The Spark
Katy Perry – This Is How We Do
Katy Perry – This Moment
Jason Derulo – Trumpets
DJ Snake – Turn Down for What
Vampire Weekend – Unbelievers
Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
2 Chainz – We Own It
Nickelback – What Are You Waiting For?
T.I. – Whatever You Like
Pitbull – Wild Wild Love
V.I.C. – Wobble
Fall Out Boy – Young Volcanoes

26 Inspirational Running Lyrics

We Own It – 2 Chainz
“Even if I’ve got three strikes, Ima go for it, this moment, we own it.

Born 2 Run – 7Lyons
“Sometimes, you gotta push though all your obstacles. No matter what the options are there is no lose, there is no fail.”

“I gotta go hard, gotta go far.”

“If the sky turns black, it don’t matter. We know the sun, is coming up. Built so strong, it won’t shatter. We were born to run.”

The Spark – Afrrojack
“Ever think if it all goes right, you got something that could change your life. Use that moment just to show you’re alive. Everything is gonna be alright.”

“We all got the spark, we all got the spark.”

I’m Ready – AJR
“You’re feeling good, you’re feeling right …”

“Can you tell me when you’re stoked to start? Are you ready for tonight … set this shit on fire.”

Further On – Bronze Radio Return
“One big push is gonna get you there, takes a stronger eye to see.
When you see it in front of you, accelerate up ahead and you see where you’re going to.
Lead your way, sing your song. Moving every day, goin further on. Lead your way, keep on strong. Moving every day, goin further on.”

“When it’s standing in front of you, and you take it and you pull it in, you see where you’re going to.”

Remember the Name – Fort Minor
“This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill, 15 percent concentrated power of will, 5 percent pleasure, 50 percent pain and a hundred percent reason to remember the name!”

The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes
“Give em hell, turn their heads. Gonna live life ’til we’re dead. Give me scars, give me pain. Then they’ll say to me, there goes the fighter, there goes the fighter. Here comes the fighter. That’s what they’ll say to me, this one’s a fighter.”

“If you fall pick yourself up off the floor, and when your bones can’t take no more just remember what you’re here for.”

I’m on Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
“I coulda gave up then but then again I couldn’t have ’cause I’ve traveled all this way for something. I take it in but don’t look down, ‘cause I’m on top of the world.”

People Like Us – Kelly Clarkson
“They try and knock us down but change is coming, it’s our time now.”

“Don’t let it get the best of you, you’ll make it out alive.”

“Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever.”

“Everything will be okay even when you’re feeling like it’s going down in flames.”

Run – The Knux
“I said she’s gonna run run run that girl’s gonna run. Run run run, that girl’s gonna run. Run run run, that girl’s gonna run. And she’s gonna run, run run run that girl’s gonna run.”

“She said catch me if you can.”

Good Morning – Mandisa
Wave away my yesterday cause I’m leaving it behind me. Hello sunshine, come what may, I feel something new inside me. It’s a good morning. Wake up to a brand new day. This morning, I’m stepping, stepping, stepping on my way. Good morning. You give me strength. You give me just what I need. And I can feel the hope that’s rising in me. It’s a good morning … Now I’m smiling, and I’m kissing all my worries goodbye. Got the feeling if I spread my wings I might even fly.”

What Are You Waiting For? – Nickelback
“Don’t you wanna learn to deal with fear? Don’t you wanna take the wheel and steer? Don’t you wait another minute here.”

“You gotta go and reach for the top. Believe in every dream that you got. You only living one so tell me, what are you, what are you waiting for? You know you gotta give it your all. And don’t you be afraid if you fall. You only living one so tell me, what are you, what are you waiting for?”

Fly – Nicki Minaj and Rhianna
“I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive. I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise. To fly.”

“Get ready for it. I came to win”

Right Place, Right Time – Olly Murs
“So this is what it feels like, being at the right place the right time. I’m hanging on for dear life hoping we can make this a long night. This is why we came, yeah I can feel it in my veins. So this is what it feels like. Right place the right time.”

Ignition – TobyMac
“Start it up, turn it on. We can ride this storm.”
“Take it up a notch.”
“Turn on, turn on the ignition. Everybody, come on, come on and turn on the ignition.”

And We Run – Within Temptation
“And we run with a lonely heart. And we run for this killing love. And we run ’til the heavens above.”

“I’ma break these chains, ran through the rain. Never look back, never quit, work through the pain.
This blood in my veins run cold when I think it’ll never be the same. But I never lose hope. This is my time now, no time for tears to celebrate. Put it in the air right now. Never back down.”

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark – Fall Out Boy
So light ’em up, up, up, light ’em up, up, up, light ’em up, up, up, I’m on fire.”

Stronger – Kanye West
“Work it, make it, do it, makes us harder, better, faster, stronger!”

“That that don’t kill me can only make me stronger.”

This is How We Do – Katy Perry
“It’s no big deal, it’s no big deal, it’s no big deal. This is no big deal.”

Roar – Katy Perry
“I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire. Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar. Louder, louder than a lion, cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar. Oh, you’re gonna hear me roar.”

“Now I’m floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee. I earned my stripes, I went from zero to my own hero.”

I Lived – One Republic
“Hope when you take that jump you don’t fear the fall. Hope when the water rises you build a wall.”

“Hope when the crowd screams out, they’re screaming your name.”

“The only way you can know is give it all you have.”

“I hope that you don’t suffer but take the pain. Hope when the moment comes you’ll say … I did it all. I owned every second that this world could give. I saw so many places, the things that I did. Yeah, with every broken bone, I swear I lived.”

Brave – Sara Bareilles
“I wanna see you be brave.”

Well Done – Moriah Peters
“I’m taking a risk and leaving it all, not knowing what I’ll go through but I’m not alone.”

“I’ll run, I’ll run. I’m gonna run this race to hear you say well done.”

You Gotta Want It – Jordin Sparks
“Pressure’s on, make a break. No matter how high are the stakes. No fear, build strong. Dynamite, number one. Now this is the time to attack and stand tall. Together for one and one for all. The fight of your life is before your eyes. There’s no room for second, this is do or die.”

“You gotta want it, you gotta need it. When it’s time to lay it on the line you gotta feel it, you gotta need it. When you dig down deep, so deep, you gotta want it, you gotta want it.”

In the end, victory will be won. But only for the champion and now there’s no holding back.”

Carry On – Fun
“My head is on fire but my legs are fine. After all they are mine.”
“Here we are. We are shining stars. We are invincible. We are who we are. On our darkest day when we’re miles away, sun will come, we will find our way home.”
“If you’re lost and alone or you’re sinking like a stone. Carry on. May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on.”

Almost Home – Mariah Carey
“When you’re almost there and you’re almost home, just open up your eyes and go, go. When you’re almost there, almost home, know you’re not alone. You’re almost home.”

“When you run, run so far you’ve forgotten who you are. Where you’re from, it’s like some other universe. You count your steps, like they’re regrets. You catch one breath then lose the rest. Wrong is right, right is left. And there’s nowhere left to turn.

“When you let your heart be the compass, you won’t get lost, not if you trust it. When you hear the sound of the trumpet louder than ever before, you’re almost home.”

What other songs help you run happy that I should add to my playlist? What is your favorite inspirational song lyric?