We thought everybody trained to the Rocky theme, but it seems it’s just us (or maybe most runner reserve that track for running up flights of steps). Rocky III’s Eye Of The Tiger is still popular among marathon runners, though.
Because charity fundraising website Just Giving has surveyed 2,000 people who have signed up to this April’s London Marathon to see which songs they pump through their headphones to keep them inspired and on track while training for the 26-mile race. And Rocky is nowhere to be seen. Or heard.
Over 6,000 songs were nominated, but these were the ones that made the top 10:
- Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (1982)
- Lose Yourself – Eminem (2002)
- Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen (1978)
- Dog Days Are Over – Florence & The Machine (2008)
- Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush (1985)
- Mr Brightside – The Killers (2003)
- Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (1975)
- Adore U – Fred Again (2023)
- Pump It – Black Eyed Peas (2009)
- Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift (2019)
In case you’re thinking that the Florence and the Machine track, ‘Dog Days Are Over’, seems like a bit of outlier, it’s worth pointing out that the lyrics are very on point: “Run for your mother, run fast for your father / Run for your children, for you sisters and brothers.” Runners like songs that feature the word “run” it seems. What a shocker. So where’s Iron Maiden’s “Run To The Hills”, then?
The top 10 artists to run to were:
- Taylor Swift
- Beyoncé
- Calvin Harris
- Queen
- Eminem
- Fred Again
- Dua Lipa
- Ed Sheeran
- Coldplay
- Drake
No Dexys Midnight Runners for the headlamp wearing runners who train at night, then? Or Runrig for athletes who have to train on oil rigs? Or Gerry and the Pacemakers for… (snip – dad joke editor).
- The best road running shoes 2024: hit the streets at speed
