Run to the Beat: Sport and music for the masses

Abstract

Run to the Beat is a half marathon event that is accompanied by live and pre-recorded music. The author was involved with the event as the lead consultant in the period 2007-2010. This case study examines the genesis of the event, the science on which it was predicated and how it was received by participating runners and the media. The primary driver for the event was the 2007 ban on personal listening devices by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, which outraged recreational runners. There is a corpus of work (approximately 100 studies) that has examined the effects of music on exercise and sport. The most conclusive findings from this work are that music reduces perceived exertion at low-to-moderate exercise intensities and, if well selected, enhances affect at all intensities. The Run to the Beat events received mixed reviews from participants, but were generally positively presented by the international media. The event continues today on an annual basis in London, UK and Basel, Switzerland.