The best running audiobooks to keep you motivated and inspired

Regardless of how long you’ve been running, it’s always a good idea to look for guides and resources on how to improve your athletic performance. You might consider checking out a previous post that outlines strength training tips for runners to improve muscle activation, movement and coordination. Tips include understanding your maximum load and giving yourself an opportunity to rest and recover.

But beyond performance, a runner’s mindset needs to be cultivated over time to help manage stress and nerves and ultimately give the runner the best possible chance of succeeding during races. Books serve as a reliable source of inspiration and motivation. For runners, an audio format is a perfect way to listen to a motivating book during training sessions.

Audiobooks are becoming increasingly accessible through the digital library Everand, which offers more than just motivational and self-help books from thought leaders like Angela Duckworth.

The platform also hosts sports and recreation audiobooks that feature top track and field athletes like Ida Keeling, serving as inspiration as you overcome challenges on and off the track. Through Everand’s affordable monthly subscription, you can access these audiobooks for runners of all skill levels and experience.

Here are the best running audiobooks to keep you motivated and inspired.

Running for My Life by Lopez Lomong

Before becoming a two-time Olympian, track and field athlete Lopez Lomong was among the Lost Boys of Sudan who suffered during the second Sudanese Civil War. Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games is an inspiring book that narrates how Lomong cultivated hope, courage and ambition to eventually become a Nike-sponsored athlete and a star of the U.S. Olympic team. Beyond his passion for running, Lomong’s story is also characterized by his strong advocacy and humanitarian work in South Sudan.

Run the Mile You’re In by Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall is a two-time Olympian and an American record-holder in the half-marathon. His book Run the Mile You're In: Finding God in Every Step shows that he sees running as more than just an athletic career. As Hall became a coach, speaker and nonprofit partner after retirement, the book reflects on the joys and challenges of running while also taking you on the journey of finding a God-given purpose in the sport.

Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

Like Hall, Scott Jurek is also one of the greatest runners of all time and a record-holder, except his focus was on ultra marathons. In Eat And Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness, Jurek shares his slow transition to ultra running and veganism, proving a plant-based diet can help athletes achieve strength, success and endurance. Besides an inspirational look at his life and career, Jurek also includes his own recipes to inspire runners at every level to invest in their health through diet and nutrition.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

While other titles feature award-winning athletes, this recommendation is from the popular Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The best-selling memoir can serve as part training guide and part inspirational book. By comparing marathon running with his diligent practice of writing, Murakami motivates readers to view the sport as a creative catalyst, a mental health tool, and a symbol of discipline and endurance.

Listening to audiobooks that present running from different perspectives and are based on widely varied experiences will help you appreciate the sport beyond its physicality.

More running resources

Here are some more resources:

• These Cleer Arc II Sport earbuds are the best headphones I’ve tried.

• How masters athletes can finish their first marathon.

• Looking to save money on nutrtional products, recovery items, etc.? Join the RunSpirited team at The Feed and get an $80 credit. Use this link to get started.

• Subscribe to my weekly Monday Motivation newsletter for tips, resources, special deals and more.