What Would Your “Walk-Up” Song Be? 8 Top Olympic Trials Contenders Share Their Picks

If you’ve ever been to a Major League Baseball game, you know that the walk-up song is the one an athlete chooses to have playing as they step up to the plate.

For some, it’s a song that amps up their intensity. For others, it’s something that helps cut the tension and relax. They’re super-individualized selections, but the desired outcome is the same—a song that helps them crush their at bat. Case in point: When Washington Nationals outfielder Gerardo Perra switched up his walk-up song to the YouTube hit “Baby Shark” (a song his two-year-old daughter loves), he went on an almost immediate hot streak, culminating in a World Series win for the franchise.

So we asked eight of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials top contenders: If running had walk-out songs that played during the athlete introduction, what would yours be?

Without knowing what anyone else chose, they curated a strong collective mix. Their choices give a small glimpse into each athlete’s personality and pre-race mentality. Kellyn Taylor and Stephanie Bruce, who spend a lot of time training together, both chose the classic athlete anthem “Eye of the Tiger.” Molly Huddle went with Lizzo’s “Water Me,” which has some punchy empowerment one-liners (“I am my inspiration” or “I am free, yeah yeah”). And Sara Hall chose a no-lyric EDM track that builds in momentum—true to the suspense before such a major race.  

2020 Olympic Trials Walk-Up Songs (28 min. total)

Emma Bates: “Hell Yeah,” by Tujamo

Stephanie Bruce & Kellyn Taylor (picked independently): “Eye of the Tiger,” by Survivor

Sara Hall: “Black Eyes and Blue,” by CryJaxx

Molly Huddle: “Water Me,” by Lizzo

Des Linden: “Ain’t Gonna Die Tonight” by Macklemore (featuring Eric Nally)

Emily Sisson: “Shake It Out,” by Florence + the Machine

Aliphine Tuliamuk: “I Gotta Feeling,” by Black Eyed Peas

You can check out (and rock out) to the entire playlist on Spotify here.