While the Nike Run Club app has had audio guided runs for a long time, in 2018, they teamed up with Headspace to bring some mindfulness and meditation to our running. You can learn a lot more at Nike Headspace Partnership Mindfulness Training.

Although Nike seems to have abandoned the Nike Run Club app (for example the last post on the NRC Facebook page was 2 years ago), it still has a few free things I wish other apps would have, and one of those is audio guided runs.

We’ll leave the debate of whether runners should listen to something while they run. But for those that do, shouldn’t it be something that will enhance the running experience, like guided runs that bring us more peace and happiness?

About Headspace

It’s hard to talk about Headspace without talking about Andy Puddicombe. So let’s start there. In his early twenties, Andy cut his Sports Science degree short to become a Buddhist monk. For over 10 years, his meditation training took him across the world to Nepal, India, Burma, Thailand, Australia and Russia. Eventually, he was ordained at a Tibetan monastery in the Indian Himalayas.

After completing his monastic commitment, Andy returned to the UK with the huge-yet-simple goal of teaching meditation and mindfulness to as many people as possible. To demystify the mystical, Andy set up a meditation consultancy and began working with politicians, athletes (that sports science background finally came in handy), and business leaders.

That’s when Andy met Rich Pierson, who needed help dealing with the stress of the advertising world. Before long, Andy and Rich were skill-swapping meditation for business advice. That’s when Headspace was born.

I like the idea of guided runs and the NRC app let’s you play your own music (or you can download their recommended play list) and the guided audio is over that. I’ll be posting specific info about guided runs I’ve tried so you might decide for yourself if you’d like to try them. The full list is at the end of this post.

Headspace Runs I’ve Tried

Morning Run With Headspace

Time: 30 min

Overview: Start your day a better way with Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of Headspace & former Buddhist monk, as he joins Nike Head Coach Chris Bennett on this 30 minute recovery run.

Run Details: A 30 minute comfortable run with 1 minute of post run guidance and cool down.

Run With Headspace List

Explore runs to help connect your mind and body

Mindful Meters – 60 min – Run – Be in the moment now and you can go anywhere in the future. Olympian English Gardner has experienced ups and downs in her career but she’s always moving forward. English joins Andy Puddicombe of Headspace and Coach Bennett on this 60 minute run.

A Whole Run – 45 min – Run – A whole run means both your body and mind are active and engaged. Join Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Coach Bennett on this 45 minute run and end having become better, stronger and more wholly you.

Stress Free Run – 25 min – Run – We all deal with stress. And we all can learn how to take advantage of the positive stress in our lives and deal with negative stress better. Join Andy Puddicombe of Headspace and Coach Bennett on this easy 25 minute run and learn how to do both.

New Morning Run With Headspace – 30 min – Run – New morning. New you. Every run is a chance to experience something fresh and new. Join Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Nike Running Global Head Coach Chris Bennett on this easy 30 minute run and learn how every moment can be a new starting line.

Morning Run With Headspace – 30 min – Run – Start your day a better way with Andy Puddicombe, co-founder ofHeadspace & a former Buddhist monk, as he joins Nike Head Coach Chris’s Bennett on this 30 minute recovery run.

Recovery Run With Headspace – 35 min – Run – A recovery Run is about more than physical recovery. Join Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Coach Bennett on this 35 minute run and you’ll end the run fresher mentally and physically. Remember, great running is dependent on great recovery.

Running Towards Your Goal – 40 min – Run – Setting a goal is brave. Achieving that goal takes determination, mindfulness, and motivation. Join Andy Puddicombe of Headspace and NRC Global Head Coach Chris’s Bennett for an inspiring 40 minute run. You’ll end closer to the goals you set for yourself.

Mindful Miles – 50 min – Run – Focus your mind, focus your performance. 2016 Olympian Colleen Quigley and Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe join Nike Head Coach Chris Bennett for this 50 minute recovery run.

Not Motivated Run With Headspace – 25 min – Run – Some days you got it. And some days you don’t think you’ve got it. Join Andy Puddicombe of Headspace and NRC Global Head Coach Chris’s Bennett on this 25 minute easy run to discover how motivation is never really lost if you’re motivated to find it.

End of Day Run With Headspace – 25 min – Run – End your day with a relaxed and restoring run alongside Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk and the co-founder of Headspace, and Nike Running Global Head Coach Chris’s Bennett on this 25 minute recovery run.

Running On Empty With Headspace – 32 min – Run – Sometimes you feel like you’re starting your run on empty. Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Nike Global Head Coach Chris Bennett make sure you end this relaxed 32 minute run feeling energized and in the moment.

Breaking Through Barriers – 31 min – Run – Becoming better is a challenge with breakthroughs and barriers along the way. Join Andy Puddicombe of Headspace and NRC Global Head Coach Chris Bennett on this 31 minute run. Learn to deal with both, real and imagined barriers, on your way to breaking through.

Big Run Day – 25 min – Run – Big day soon? Race? Presentation? Exam? We know it can be scary and make you nervous. Join Andy Puddicombe of Headspace and NRC Global Headcoach Chris’s Bennett, on this 25 minute run and learn how big days can also be exciting, positive & empowering.

Slow Down 2 Speed Up – 33 min – Intervals – Bring a whole new focus to your fast. Join Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Nike Global Head Coach Chris Bennett on this 30 minute interval run that helps you slow down your mind to speed up your run.

Run With Headspace – 30 min – Run – Experience a greater clarity of mind with Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of Headspace and former Buddhist monk, as he joins Nike Head Coach Chris Bennett on this 30 minute recovery Run.