Boston was bustling with racers and spectators alike Monday for the 130th Boston Marathon. While watchers camped out early at the finish line in Copley Square, many competitors shook out nerves at the race’s start in Hopkinton, Mass. by putting in earbuds and listening to music.
The Beacon talked to runners from this year’s marathon after the race to find out what music fueled their race day. If you need motivation to cross this article’s finish line, listen to our curated playlist of Boston Marathoners’ favorite songs below.
Music can be a contentious point in the running community; my best friend in Texas likes to call me on her runs, helping the time and distance go by with laughs and updates. When I ran for high school soccer, I didn’t talk to anyone as the pain from long distances became infinitely worse when I tried to make small talk. Some runners can’t hold their pace without that one song while others swear off music entirely.
Christiano Iannacone, an Emerson College sophomore media arts production major who ran representing the Boston Children’s Hospital Patient Partner program, leaned on a few important songs during his race. Before his earbuds died during mile 23, Iannacone was bumping “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees and “Fireball” by Pitbull featuring John Ryan. He listened to the relaxing familiar tunes of Billy Idol, like “Eyes Without a Face,” when he needed to settle into his pace.
Kaylin O’Meara, an Emerson junior marketing communications major and dual-sport athlete who ran for Cops for Kids with Cancer, only listened to one song. Between miles 11 and 12, she put her headphones in to play “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis to beat a hill on the course. For the rest of it, she chose to listen to the cheers of the crowd instead.
“The crowds were so loud and energetic I didn’t even need to listen to music,” she said.
O’Meara was met with more cheers and screams at the top of this hill and, not looking back in anger — at least not today — she ditched her music entirely and let the energy of Boston fuel her the rest of the way.
Another runner, Xander Witthus, also said a single song during the marathon helped him run the course: “You Could Be The One” by Snow Strippers. After he “hit flow state” from the song’s intense EDM noises, Witthus looped the song on repeat.
One Boston Marathon finisher I talked to roaming Boylston Street with his family Monday evening said he skips the headphones and “listens to nature” during runs. “I like to talk to my running companions,” the kind runner told me.
Another racer looked to his son when I asked if he had a go-to running song. “‘If you are what you say you are,’” his son told me, quoting the chorus of Lupe Fiasco’s “Superstar.” “Always that song.”
Katie O’Driscoll leaned on “dad rock” music, like AC/DC, to push through the harder hills of the marathon. For the final left on Hereford, right on Boylston, O’Driscoll queued up the classic Boston songs to cross the finish line: “Dirty Water” by the Standells, “Boston” by Augustana, and “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys.
Taylor Urena listened to “fun and upbeat” songs to hold a tight 7:03 minute per mile pace in the marathon. Some favorites were “Shots” by LMFAO, “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna, and “Powerglide” by Rae Sremmurd, Slim Jxmmi, and Swae Lee.
McKenzie Lautt cycled through different genres during her race, planning specific songs to hit at key points on the route. For the start, Lautt opted for Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue” since for her, the start of races are always emotional. She listened to upbeat pop songs like “Closer” by the Chainsmokers featuring Halsey and “Hall of Fame” by The Script around Heartbreak Hill, a grueling climb for runners between mile 20 and 21. “Test Drive” by John Powell from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack played in her earbuds as she crossed the finish line.
Makenna Katz blasted music from the Broadway musical, “The Outsiders” (2023) during marathon training. On race day, however, her earbuds were connected to an app on her phone, “Rally,” which held voice recordings from 26 friends and family members. Tracking Katz’ real-time location on the course, the app played one message at each mile to push her through.
Darby Rich told me her earbuds died at mile 19, but the crowd’s loud and vibrant support caused her to not even notice. Before the cheers through Boston helped her finish the race, Rich listened to “More Than a Feeling” by Boston, “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, and “MR RECOUP” by 21 Savage and Drake.
Nadia Havens said she ran down Boylston Street toward the finish line to the instrumental end of “Coming Up Roses” by Harry Styles. “It was magical,” she said.
My personal race-day additions, though I will never qualify for the Boston Marathon, are “By Your Side” by Rod Wave and “B*tch from Da Souf (Remix)” by Latto, Trina, and Saweetie. Until then, don’t talk to me if you see me huffing down Boylston Street.
