tunes to run to

Suggest you check the rules to see if mp3 / headphones are allowed.

If not you can save yourself the bother of illegal downloads and just sing in your head, or play a virtual movie in your imagination.

Sorted.

Buttscratcher I go for Trance and euphoria all the way, with three slow chill-outs for the off to keep my speed down. Every race says no ipods and let's be honest who listens, movin and groovin thats the way.

Kicked-it, My bet is, you're a traffic warden, or a security guard

Cockney Latic,

The reason that people are not allowed headphones in races is that listening to music noticeably cuts down on your awareness of what is going on around you. This poses a reasonable risk of collision when runners are constant overtaking each other/changing course, as they do in a race. I noticed this on the one occasion that I wore headphones in a race and have voluntarily never worn them since, even though I wear them in training.

I watched a halfwit with his MP3 player hold up an ambulance at GNR last year despite the sirens/shouts of other runners as he blissfully trolleyed along in his own little world

Also closed my eyes to avoid watching a headphone wearing runner get mown down by a speeding idiot approaching from behind in a 10k once. Needless to say he couldnt hear us shout, or the roaring engine bearing down upon him.

Missed by inches thankfully, and to be fair - I nearly wet myself laughing at his face/wobbly legged shock so I'm not totally against headphones for the comedy value of the near death expereinces - as long as its just the bell end with the headphones at risk

I would like to point out 1st of all that I don't wear headphones for racing, I do occassionally use them in training but only if I've got a long section on my own.

I love how that old chestnut get dragged up every single time... "I saw someone with an MP3 hold up an ambulance as they were oblivious to the sirens/shouts"... surely to not hear sirens behind you the MP3 would have to be up uncomfortably loud... bearing in mind you can hear sirens from 3 streets away in your car with the windows wound up and the stereo on... Could it possibly be that they were so focussed on the task in hand (running a race) that it just didn't register the sirens were coming from directly behind them?? 

I wear my headphones when I have to walk home from work, along a busy road, and I can hear every car/lorry/bus coming along the road quite easily even with my MP3 turned up to a volume that is comfortable to listen to... so again I would imagine it was more to do with being focussed on the task in hand rather than the music that made the runner unaware of a speeding twat coming up behind him.  I know Mr CS has shouted at me so many times when we're out running as I'm concentrating so much on maintaining a steady rhythm that I'm oblivious to everything else and have nearly stepped out in front of a car.

MP3 players are banned in a lot of races under the UKA rules for your safety and that of those around you... and that "ting ting ting" is bloody annoying especially if it's a song that you know but can't quite put your finger on...

Personally I have a mix of everything on shuffle, if you look at the track listings of 101 Running Songs that should give you some ideas... I have stuff on mine that I'd never have thought of to run to.

It's a puely personal thing, I think the benefits of the music far outweight the downsides, and as for real H&S risks there are none, but then again training people with little understanding of the real world will result in this type of misconception. I agree about the ambulance it's an urban story again,

However kicked-it you have made me have second thoughts and now I'm actually convinced, for me it's Security Guard all the way, possibly Asda? Maybe Tesco..... 

the OP didn't say anything about wearing headphones while running the marathon.

if they're going to run a marathon soon i assume they'll have some long training hours in which they might be listening to music.

Its amazing how unpleasantly people react when the subject of MP3 use comes up.

You are either a liar, holier than thou, or retarded, (which is an exceptionally offensive phrase to use and adds nothing to the debate - shame on you).

The banning of MP3 during races is for a good reason, and its unlikely to have been by a Security Guard fram Asda trying to spoil your "movin and groovin".

It would be interesting to hear a reasoned justification for ignoring the rules of a race you have entered that rises above the hurling of childish insults. Just Caz capable of that so far sadly:

Ambulance urban legend? Hmmm - maybe it comes up so often because it happens so often. Dont know - I've only seen it once.

Was it uncomfortably loud? Dont know - but only the guy with the headphones on failed to realize there was an ambulance behind him until physically accosted by other runners. No-one else was so focussed to become confused by the presence of the ambulance.

The runner I nearly saw killed was the only one wearing headphones: those without became aware of the speeding idiot, and moved to the left. I dont think thats coincidental, and I dont think he was the only runner focussed on his run.

Headphones may have a place in training, and the safety of wearing them is entirely your choice, but if you dont agree with the rules of the race dont enter.

errr thanks guys didnt really expect such a reaction just a few song suggestions would have been nice, anyway thanks for the advice all of you. just to clarify not may cars on the canals by me or on the off road race i was attempting, but point taken could i get away with just one headphone in surely that would appease the h & s enforcers

Wow- not sure if I want to add to the debate ...(but I'll make my suggestions anyway!) I run only on a treadmill if its any help (a heavy mix of chavs with their rabid-mad dogs, only being able to run when its dark-busy at times when theres sunlight and of course being a women puts me at risks I don't even think not wearing earphones could protect me of: withessed bad things with my own eyes all too often!) I stick in in-ear earphones and run to the music because the stuff at the gym is dire to say the least (just how many times do we have to listen to bellowing by the Saturdays?!)

My top few searches for new music are mainly from DJ sites where stuff is freshly mixed up. More of a sort of promo thing so you have to have a few good links to keep tabs on, its rare you'll get new stuff every week and sometimes not even every month.

I'll let you google these:

For chart fans, DJ Earworm is great and the guy ha pretty awesome links to other sites worth a look.

For more club-meets massive sound (not trashy club but more underground club) try Best of Booties top 10 link.

For really crass often verging on (if not already) offensive tracks, try DJ Greg J. I don't like the lyrics in the stuff he puts out but the beats are pretty cool, plus his megamixes can run for hours without a break just moving from one mashup track to the next.

Otherwise for more chilled stuff, check out Amazon who updates free tracks every now and then which can be worth a listen and are free- again, usually to promote rather then being illegal!

are you going to go my way by lenny kravitz - best running track ever I think!!!!

Black Eyed Peas quite good as well!!!

Good Luck with the Marathon - which one are you doing???