“I run until I know what to believe.”
On Friday, Runner’s World posed the following question about a song called “Marathon Runner” by a band called Yellow Ostrich:
Is it worthy of your long-run playlist?
So, I decided to Road Test it this weekend. Nice song with a great Indie sound.
After a few listens, I gathered the song is about a flawed person in search of purpose. He shoots down the dreams of others, perhaps because he’s yet to figure out his own dreams.
My initial thought was: I don’t like this guy, and I don’t know how I feel about this as a running song. However, something strange occurred. I happened to be running up a hill during part of the chorus:
“I am a marathon runner. My legs are sore, and I’m anxious to see what I’m running for…”
…and somehow, it assisted me in getting up that hill. Then it hit me: the song is also about inner struggle. I think we can all relate to this as people and runners (We’ve all struggled up that hill). The slow build into the thunderous chorus works really well too. If the protagonist in the song has a redeeming quality, it’s that he has some insight into his character flaws. He’s looking for something in which to believe. Aren’t we all?
I recommend it for a longer run, but not a speed workout.
GRADE: 2.5 WINGS 
(out of 5)
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