Post-hardcore
For when the run gets emotional and you need guitars that match
By Rob Gordon
Wind off the lake, headphones barely staying in, and I'm three miles into what was supposed to be an easy run but turned into something else entirely because Taking Back Sunday came on and suddenly I'm sprinting through anger I didn't know I was carrying.
That's post-hardcore. That's why it works.
Here's the thing nobody tells you about running: it's not just your legs that get tired. Your brain gets tired. Your heart—the metaphorical one—gets tired of whatever you're running from or toward. And post-hardcore gets that in a way that straight-ahead punk doesn't, in a way that emo wishes it could. It's got the aggression, sure—Enter Shikari will destroy you on a tempo run—but it's also got these moments of actual melody, actual emotion, where the song breathes and you breathe and then it explodes again and so do you.
Brand New understood this. The way "Seventy Times 7" builds—that's what your stride does when you stop thinking and start moving. Taking Back Sunday knew it too. The call-and-response vocals, the way tension and release work in post-hardcore, that's literally what interval training feels like when it's working right.
I've had this argument at the store a hundred times. Someone comes in looking for "aggressive running music" and reaches for metal, and I get it, but metal is all aggression all the time. Post-hardcore has range. It matches what your body actually does out there—the suffering and the transcendence, the ugly middle miles and the moment when you remember why you started running in the first place.
Six playlists deep in this category, and what strikes me is the emotional honesty. These aren't "pump-up" playlists. They're playlists for when the run gets complicated, when easy pace isn't easy, when you need music that's as messy and dynamic and relentlessly forward-moving as you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
What pace should I run to post-hardcore?
This isn't background music for recovery jogs—post-hardcore works best at tempo pace or faster. The dynamic shifts in bands like Enter Shikari or Taking Back Sunday mirror interval work perfectly: explosive verses push you through hard efforts, melodic bridges give you just enough recovery to catch your breath before the next push. If you're running easy and Brand New comes on, you're either speeding up or you're lying to yourself about what 'easy' means. This is music for when you're working.
What's the typical BPM range for post-hardcore running music?
You're looking at roughly 150-180 BPM for most post-hardcore, which lands perfectly in that tempo-to-threshold sweet spot. But here's what makes it different from straight punk at the same BPM: the dynamics. Taking Back Sunday might sit at 165 BPM, but the song structure—quiet verse, explosive chorus—trains your body to handle surges. It's not metronomic. Your stride rate might stay consistent, but your effort level fluctuates with the music, and that's exactly what makes hard workouts feel less monotonous.
I'm new to post-hardcore—which artists should I start with for running?
Start with Enter Shikari if you want something that feels immediate and kinetic—they'll grab you by the throat and pull you through a workout. Taking Back Sunday if you want that classic mid-2000s intensity with hooks you can actually remember. Brand New if you're doing a longer run and need something with emotional depth that won't get exhausting. All three show up repeatedly in these playlists for good reason: they understand that aggression without melody is just noise, and melody without edge is just boring.
Does post-hardcore work for long runs or just speed workouts?
Honestly? Both, but you need to curate carefully. For intervals or tempo runs, load up on the aggressive stuff—Enter Shikari, the harder Taking Back Sunday tracks. For long runs, you want the more dynamic, emotionally textured end of post-hardcore. Brand New works because they give you space to think between the intensity. Look at a playlist like 'LOVERS ROCK' or 'August'—they're clearly built for endurance, not just explosive efforts. The key is matching the emotional arc of the music to your run's purpose.
What makes post-hardcore different from regular punk or emo for running?
Punk is all gas pedal, no brakes—great for short, violent efforts, exhausting for anything longer. Emo wallows too much; you'll end up running slower while contemplating your feelings. Post-hardcore sits right in that sweet spot: it's got punk's aggression and emo's emotional honesty, but it's structured around dynamics and forward momentum. The quiet-loud-louder formula literally mirrors what your body does during hard efforts. When Taking Back Sunday or Brand New drops into a bridge, that's your body's brief recovery before the next hard push. It's workout architecture disguised as music.