On Sunday more than 12,000 runners gathered in Greenwich, south-east London, to race a half marathon with a soundtrack of live DJs around the route at the fifth annual Run to the Beat event. Athough it was only my first half – I skipped straight to a full marathon for fear of being put off by how tough 13.1 miles is, let alone having to double that – I think the music (from credible dance classics to the sort of stuff you’d hear in the gym) definitely spurred me on. It has been well documented that listening to music can help you to improve your PB. Some research suggests it aids women more than men – and Run to the Beat has a 55% women/45% men divide.
In April the UK’s inaugural Rock’n’Roll half was held in Edinburgh, which the Guardian’s Adharanand Finn took part in and wrote about. Of course, musical entertainment in the form of school bands or pub sound systems has long been a staple of distance running, so these events aren’t exactly revolutionary. But there does seem to be a sudden proliferation of races that are trying to offer something extra as running becomes increasingly popular. Races, like festivals, are competing with each other in a crowded market.
Over the next month you can take part in a zombie 5k in south London, where the “living dead” will chase you through a forest; or combine a night run with fireworks and bands, including Reverend and the Makers, at York’s Gunpowder Plod. And forget traditional fun run fancy dress. After Christmas the Mighty Deerstalker at Innerleithen on the Scottish Borders will encourage participants to don their best tweed for the occasion. The Great Gorilla Run has to take the prize for wackiest costume theme – and a fairly random distance of 7k too. Speaking of which, the half marathon itself was deemed unusual until fairly recently, but now seems to be just as popular as the full-length variety.
For those who have done it all, there are now even backwards running events.
Distance running has always involved pushing yourself to extremes. Perhaps that’s why the ultramarathoners Christopher McDougall writes about in the brilliant book Born to Run are all wonderfully eccentric. Yet the simplicity of the races at the heart of the book is a reminder of what running is all about: your body and the open road. Novelty runs might take your mind off things when the going gets tough, but isn’t dealing with it yourself part of the challenge?
Are you a running purist or are wacky races in the spirit of the sport? And what are the most unusual events that you have come across?
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