The Runcast with John Richards

KEXP

4.7 (569)
Music
Updated Semimonthly

We believe that everyone who runs should have a great soundtrack. Not one curated by an algorithm, but one that’s hand-picked by a DJ who runs too. The Runcast with John Richards brings you a dynamic mix of music and inspiration to keep you company and motivate you on your run, no matter what your level.

1d ago

The Marathon Runcast

John is joined by DJ Kevin Cole who shares inspiration and motivation while also sharing a surprise during the runcast. Jose Gonzalez - “Against the Dying of the Light” Hemi Hemingway - “Promises” New Pornographers - “Ballad of the Last PayphoneLala Lala - “Even Mountains Erode” Darkswoon - “Antivenom” Mona et Toi - “Nothing Rhymes With Myself”Mona et Toi - “Sweet + Sour” Temples - “Jet Stream Heart” Dark Chisme - “Dominance of Truth” Chalk - “Can’t Feel It” Digitalism - “Achtung! Optimism!” Genesis Owusu - “Stampede” Genesis Owusu - “Human Again” Madeline “Goldstein - “Strange & Absurd”Death Valley Girls - “Message From the Venus Flower” Man/Woman/Chainsaw - “Nosedive” Makthaverskan - “Shatter” Spanish Horses - “Hey Man (Hey Man!)” Radio Free Alice - “Kick in the Shins” Soft Science - “Fade” Soft Loft - “Caught” Wishy - “Sensational” Party Dozen - “Euro Stomper” Death Cab For Cutie - “Riptides” Modest Mouse - “Look How Far” Orbit 17 - “Tunnels” Flair - “Nausea” New German Cinema - “I Become Heavy” Tempers - “Cold and Cruel” Hazy Waters - “Blue” Beatrice Deer - “Aukkauti” Girl Scout - “Uh-Huh” Untitled (Halo) - “Easy Rider” Porcelain Tongue - “Understanding Time” Ratboys - “Light Night Mountains Russian Blue - “Already Dead” The Early Years - “A New Way of Living” Interpol - “See out Loud” Anna Calvi - “God’s Lonely Man” Fat Dog - “Go LOVE Urself” Liars - “Ice Pick, Kalamazoo” Madmadmad - “Hey!”Getdown Services - “Stop Living” Imperial Teen - “All Over You” Opus Kink - “I’m a Pretty Showboy”R. Missing - “Turning Off Lights Is My Destiny” Antony Szmierek - “Chalk” Nightbus - “Angles Mortz (Tom Sharkett Remix)”Alexis Taylor - “Out of Phase” Mono - “Gerbera”Apparat - “Hum of Maybe” Uh Huh Her - “Shook” Hannah Lew - “Sunday” Deary - “Seabird” Blind Yeo - “Today’Tomorrow” Caroline Rose - “Yip Yip Yow” Sugar - “Long Live Love” Guv - “Warmer Than Gold” Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 18

The “In a World of Cheetahs, Be a Penguin" Runcast

No one gets to tell you how fast you run, when you run or why you run. Running, walking, moving in anyway is yours and yours only. On this episode of The Runcast, host John Richards encourages you to find your own pace with motivating music from Wild Pink, Metric, Ceremony, and more. As John says, “in a world of cheetahs, be a penguin.”Matt Berninger and Rosanne Cash - “Who Loves the Sun” Dogwood Tales - “McMemories” Wild Pink - “Round of Applause at the End of the World” Dazy - “Beat Change” Parlor Greens - “Emeralds” Bodega - “Weather Me” Slow Fiction - “Junior Year” Megasound - “Keep On Running” Pitschouse - “Dinner With the Dreamies” Metric - “Victim of Luck” Trentemoller - “Terrified” Arab Strap - “I Get Noise” Tinsley - “More Alive” Sibille Attar - “Dark Stuff” Abracadabra - “Peel Away” Chinese American Bear - “Dance Dance Dance” Hey Thanks - “Forward” Strange Lot - “All I Know” RIP Dunes - “Living in Fear” Ceremony - “Antenna” Painted Vein - “Wanna Be Enough” Dark Chisme - “Suffer Like Me” Lily Seabird - “Lightspheres on Their Way” Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 4

Don’t Run Away From Your Fears, Run Toward Your Goals

This week on the Runcast, DJ John Richards crafts another mix of tracks to keep you motivated on your run, featuring music from Kiwi Jr., Temples, Death Valley Girls, and more. On this mix, John encourages you to keep your focus away from what’s holding you back and more toward where you’re trying to get to. It’s not how you start the race, it’s how you finish it. Let this music help guide you as you make your way to all the things you’re trying to accomplish. Tracklist: Myra Lee - “Trapped”White Flowers - “Heaven”Atmos Bloom - “Closer”Sundayclub - “Blue Wave”Hurry - “Moving After You”Kiwi Jr - “Photos of the Reenactment”Radio Free Alice - “Kick in the Shins”Darkswoon - “Antivenom”Temples - “Jet Stream Heart”Wishy - “Sensational”Hazy Waters - “Blue”Getdown Services - “Stop Living”Beacon - “Cinder”Portraits of Tracy - “Caught in a Jam”Death Valley Girls - “Message From the Venus Flower”New Age Healers - “Moored” Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 21

The “Live Music to Make You Feel More Alive” Runcast

Once again, DJ John Richards digging into the recent Live on KEXP archives for a Runcast featuring all live performances. All these recordings come from 2026, featuring powerful tracks from Band of Horses, Just Mustard, Rogue Wave and more. Live music makes use feel alive, and you can take that energy with you on your next run.Tracklist:The Royston Club - “Spinning” Band of Horses - “The Great Salt Lake” Rogue Wave - “Endless Shovel” The Barr Brothers - “Run Right Into It” Hannah Lew - “Sunday” Lala Lala - “Does This Go Faster?” Spacemoth - “Do We Exist” Chapterhouse - “Pearl” The Wedding Present - “Damage” Toadies - “Possum Kingdome” Mclusky - “She Will Only Bring You Happiness" Just Mustard - “We Were Just Here” Russian Blue - “This is The Sound of What Was” Russian Blue - “Patience” Getdown Services - “The Radiator” Drama - “Dancing on my Own” Lyrics Born - “I Like it I Love it” Sera Cahoone - “Say Something” Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 7

Running is Love, Love Your Running

Spencer Krug - “I”ll Believe in Anything (Piano Version)” Hammock - “We Close Our Eyes So We Can See” Ed O’Brien - “Incantations” Basement - “Broken by Design” Russian Blue - “Patience” Interpol - “See Out Loud” Diary - “Keep Comin’ Up” R. Missing - “Turning Off Lights is My Destiny” Uh Huh Her - “Shook” Asal - “Winters Gonna Come” Wet Leg - “CPR (Horsegirl Remix)” Desire - “Summer Skin” Genesis Owusu - “Human Again” Terror/Cactus - “Transmisión Clandestina” Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 24

PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

Anna Calvi - “Is This All There Is?Blondshell - “Heart Has to Work So Hard” Ill Peach - “Crash Course Dummy” Catherine Moan - “No Magic” Punchbag - “Pile of Clothes” Antony Szmierek - “Chalk” Alexis Taylor - “Out of Phase” Digitalism - “Achtung! Optimism” Fat Dog - “Go LOVE urself"New German Cinema - “I Become Heavy” Sunglaciers - “Future Free”Orbit 17 - “Tunnels” Joy Forever - “Love is Real” Soft Loft - “Caught” Getdown Services - “I Can’t Die Like That” Sylvan Esso - “Hot Slob” Caroline Rose - “Yip Yip Yow” Sera Cahoone - “Say Something” Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 10

The Radiant Pulse

DJ Kevin Cole supercharges your run with an international mix of life-affirming tracks, designed to help you lock into a deep, sustained flow state. Radiate to the rhythm and pulse of artists like Gelli Haha, Ezra Collective, MadMadMad, and Ninajirachi. Bellaire - "Pure Love"Gelli Haha - "Klouds Will Carry Me To Sleep"Pigeon - "Miami"Ninajirachi iPod Touch - "I Love My Computer"Pullstring - "Nowhere Left To Go" Dead Pioneers - "Never Alone" Ezra Collective - "Only Love"Sosyete '25' - "Yaygara"Midpak - "Disco Heaven 54"Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - "Chicken Leg"ABOP - "Zwei Kilo Zucker"Chui - "Tvrdi Sicevi"MadMadMad - "Overload"ŽIVA - "I See Right Through You" Produced and Mastered by: William Myers Production support: Serafima Healy Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 26

Running And Dancing Like No One Is Watching

A mix of dance tracks, post-punk, and remixes to set a new PR! Mono - "Gerbera"Russian Blue - "This is the Sound of What Was?"Dark Chisme - "Dominance of Truth"Muscle Memory - "Conditions of Love" (Boy's Shorts Remix)L’Eclair - "RUN" (feat. Gelli Haha)Digitalism - "Space Invaders"Madeline Goldstein - "Strange & Absurd"Buscabulla - "Miraverahi" (Slow Jamz Remix)Nightbus - "Angles Mortz" (Tom Sharkett Remix)MADMADMAD - "Hey!"Boy Deluxe - "Energy is Power"Actors - "CTRL"Chalk - "Can't Feel It"Adult DVD - "Real Tree Lee"Apparat - "Hum of Maybe" Host: John Richards Produced and Mastered by: William Myers Production support: Serafima Healy Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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John Richards

Host

4.7

out of 5

569 Ratings

Good concept, ok tunes

11/08/2025

Buck Boats

Really good concept but most of the songs aren’t good. Some ok. A handful great. It’s tough because they have to get the rights to broadcast.
Too much talking

03/22/2025

Phriapatius

Great running mixtape. Listen to John talking about his past and future races, there are some music in between too! We love you John!
Fantastic

05/09/2024

Ant-honey

Really greatly curated. Love that the Runcast is back as it’s own thing. John is great, KEXP is great and you’ll be great as you listen. Edit: PLEASE DONT LET THEM KILL THIS LIKE THEY DID WITH SONG OF THE DAY. In Our Headphones is the biggest swing and miss ever. Fine, but did you have to kill SOD on top of everything?!
John Richards is my spirit animal

10/12/2023

djakob

I listen to the Morning Show on KEXP every single day. Mostly because John is a great DJ, but also because I know that he is an avid runner who, like many, loves music. But unlike many, he is publicly vulnerable, incredibly self-aware, and really honest with his listeners about how he feels most of the time. And that is his superpower – and it’s evident in the thought and care that goes into writing, curating and producing this podcast. I always hear something I love, something new, and something I had forgotten that I loved along the way. Thank you for this podcast!

We believe that everyone who runs should have a great soundtrack. Not one curated by an algorithm, but one that’s hand-picked by a DJ who runs too. The Runcast with John Richards brings you a dynamic mix of music and inspiration to keep you company and motivate you on your run, no matter what your level.