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.

Notes

^1. Run to the Beat marketing slogan, 2008.

^2. British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences expert statement on the use of music in exercise, 2011: http://www.bases.org.uk/write/Documents/SES_EXPERT_3.pdf.

^3. Rule 144.3(b) of USA Track and Field Manual.

^4. The quote regarding the New York Marathon is from The Times, November 2, 2007.

^5. Examples of the coverage include The Telegraph, January 12, 2008; The Sunday Times, November 2, 2007.

^6. www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/fashion/10fitness.html (accessed October 17, 2011).

^7. www.run2rhythm.com (accessed October 17, 2011).

^8. www.runtothebeat.co.uk (accessed October 17, 2011).

^9. The definition of motivational music is taken from Karageorghis, Terry, and Lane, ‘Development and Initial Validation’.

^10. The expanded list appears in Terry and Karageorghis, ‘Music in Sport and Exercise’.

^11. The development of the BMRI was covered in Karageorghis, Terry, and Lane, ‘Development and Initial Validation’.

^12. The redevelopment of the BMRI was covered in Karageorghis et al., ‘Redesign and Initial Validation’.

^13. The criteria were taken from Terry and Karageorghis, ‘Psychophysical Effects of Music’; Karageorghis and Terry, Inside Sport Psychology; Karageorghis, Terry, and Lane, ‘Development and Initial Validation’; Karageorghis et al., ‘Revisiting the Exercise Heart Rate’.

^14. www.run247.com/articles/article-43-run-to-the-beat-preview.html (accessed October 26, 2011).

^15. The survey-based study is Priest, Karageorghis, and Sharp, ‘Characteristics and Effects of Motivational Music’.

^16. The ‘battle of the genres’ strategy: www.flavourmag.co.uk/sony-ericsson-run-to-the-beat-2009/ (accessed October 26, 2011).

^17. For music lowering perceptions of exertion, see Bharani, Sahu, and Mathew, ‘Effect of Passive Distraction’; ‘Music in the Exercise Domain (Part I)’; Karageorghis and Priest, ‘Music in the Exercise Domain (Part II); Nethery, ‘Competition between Internal and External Sources’; and Szmedra and Bacharach, ‘Effect of Music’; Yamashita et al., ‘Effects of Music during Exercise’.

^18. For the dominance of fatigue-related feedback at high exercise intensities, see Rejeski, ‘Perceived Exertion’; Tenenbaum, ‘Social-Cognitive Perspective’.

^19. Karageorghis et al., ‘Psychophysical and Ergogenic Effects’.

^20. The Feeling Scale was developed by Hardy and Rejeski, ‘Not What, but How One Feels’.

^21. On music use to regulate arousal, see Bishop, Karageorghis, and Loizou, ‘A Grounded Theory’; Priest and Karageorghis, ‘Qualitative Investigation’.

^22. For pre-task music aiding strength-related task, see Karageorghis, Drew, and Terry, ‘Effects of Pretest Stimulative and Sedative Music’.

^23. For pre-task music aiding muscular endurance task, see Crust and Clough, ‘Influence of Rhythm’.

^24. For discussions of exercise heart rate and music-tempo preferences, see Karageorghis, Jones, and Low, ‘Relationship between Exercise Heart Rate and Music’; Karageorghis, Jones, and Stuart, ‘Psychological Effects of Music Tempi’; and Karageorghis et al., ‘Revisiting the Exercise Heart Rate’; Karageorghis and Terry, ‘The Psychological, Psychophysical and Ergogenic Effects’.

^25. For previous works on music-tempo preference and heart rate, see Iwanaga, ‘Relationship between Heart Rate and Preference’; Iwanaga, ‘Harmonic Relationship between Preferred Tempi and Heart Rate’.

^26. For the two inflection points, see Karageorghis et al., ‘Revisiting the Exercise Heart Rate’.

^27. For the manipulation of musical tempo, see Edworthy and Waring, ‘Effects of Music Tempo’; Karageorghis and Terry, ‘Psychophysical Effects of Music’.

^28. For increased work output from listening to synchronous music, see ‘Music in the Exercise Domain (Part I)’; Karageorghis and Priest, ‘Music in the Exercise Domain (Part II)’.

^29. For running with synchronous music, see Simpson and Karageorghis, ‘Effects of Synchronous Music’; Terry et al., ‘Effects of Synchronous Music’.

^30. For musical tempo regulating performance, see Edworthy and Waring, ‘Effects of Music Tempo’.

^31. For a 15% increase in endurance, see Karageorghis et al., ‘Psychophysical and Ergogenic Effects’.

^32. For music and cycling efficiency, see Bacon, Myers, and Karageorghis, ‘Effects of Music-Movement Synchrony’.

^33. For an increase in strength output, see Crust and Clough, ‘Influence of Rhythm’; Razon et al., ‘Perception of Exertion’.

^34. For an increase in aerobic endurance, see Atkinson, Wilson, and Eubank, ‘Effects of Music’; Elliott, Carr, and Savage, ‘Effects of Motivational Music’.

^35. For an increase in work-rate, see Elliott, Carr, and Savage, ‘Effects of Motivational Music’; Szabo, Small, and Leigh, ‘Effects of Slow- and Fast-Rhythm Classical Music’.

^36. For women's exposure to dance music, see Crowther and Durkin, ‘Sex- and Age-Related Differences’.

^37. For women's desire to dance, see Shen et al., ‘Gender and Interest-Based Motivation’.

^38. For gender differences in rhythm response, see Karageorghis et al., ‘Psychophysical and Ergogenic Effects’.

^39. For men deriving less benefit from synchronous music than women, see Karageorghis et al., ‘Ergogenic and Psychological Effects’.

^40. For women's endurance with musical accompaniment, see Macone et al., ‘Music and Physical Activity’; Schwartz, Fernhall, and Plowman, ‘Effects of Music on Exercise’.

^41. For qualitative work on this, see Priest, Karageorghis, and Sharp, ‘Characteristics and Effects of Motivational Music’.

^42. Runner entry statistics can be found on www.challengerworld.com/results/run-to-the-beat.aspx.

^43. John McFarlane's quote is on 8lane Forum, September 28, 2009.

^44. Morgan and Pollock, ‘Psychologic Characterization’, researched attentional style of elite distance runners.

^45. Brownley, McMurray, and Hackney, ‘Effects of Music’, covered the difference in music appreciation by elite and non-elite exercisers.

^46. Claire Soares’ article appeared in The Independent, October 7, 2008.

^47. Nerina's message appeared on the following URL: www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?UTN = 120787&URN = 6&SP = &V = 2&searchdate = 0&cp = 9&dt = 4 (accessed October 24, 2011).

^48. www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?URN = 1&UTN = 165914&SP = &V = 6 (accessed October 24, 2011).

^49. Examples of Facebook groups: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Run-To-The-Beat-Half-Marathon/140550409312536; http://en-gb.facebook.com/event.php?eid = 351635733253; http://en-gb.facebook.com/event.php?eid = 71554795518 (accessed October 24, 2011).

^50. http://www.facebook.com/runtothebeat (accessed October 28, 2011).

^51. Run to the Beat theme tune: www.youtube.com/watch?v = IQOcIVe2uo4 (accessed October 28, 2011).

^52. For a discussion of music preference and subculture, consult North and Hargreaves, ‘Music and Taste’.

^53. Simon Hayes' piece appeared on the following URL: http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/02/run-to-the-beat-up-and-running.html (February 11, 2009).

^54. Claire Soares' comment was taken from her article in The Independent, October 7, 2008.