Opinion: Ravers make better runners

I went to a music festival and saw three people going for a jog.

For some people, I’m sure this isn’t surprising. It was hot, granted, but it was early, and I am sure it was a lovely start to the day. However, I’m willing to admit I have never even considered attempting to exercise at a multi-day music festival – crusty, dusty and still half-asleep, I was pretty comfortable with taking the weekend off.

But as I sat, sweating out a hangover in a broken camping chair, it got me thinking. While I wasn’t jumping at the chance to join them, I realised there was a decent number of people around me that enjoyed both dance music and running, and that it went beyond my immediate circle. I decided there might be something to unpack here.

Running is having its moment, so it might be foolish to suggest that you’ll find more runners in the dance music space than you would anywhere else. But even at a time when everyone runs, I still find something worth noting in that so many of us enjoy balancing the two, considering they can feel counter-productive.

And I’ll go one step further. I’m coming to the table today with the stance that ravers don’t just make surprisingly good runners. They make better runners.

(I will add that I’ve used the term ‘ravers’ throughout for brevity/alliterative purposes only. To clarify, we’re talking to anyone who enjoys listening to upbeat electronic music or going to upbeat electronic music events.)

Before I continue, I’m unable to substantiate this argument with anything concrete, so all I’m asking is for you to hear me out. Aside from the ‘case study’ shared in the first paragraph, I’m not armed with an examination of the human psyche that could reveal some correlation between the two activities. Who knows! This could all just be a pretty lukewarm serve of red car theory, but I still think there’s something in it.

To set the scene: I love to run. I only got into it a couple of years ago but I’m extremely grateful to be able to move this way. It just makes me feel good. Bringing electronic music into the picture as listening preference elevates the activity immensely for me, and there’s nothing more transportive than enduring a set in its entirety on a long run. I’m convinced I feel the same as when I’m at an event, if not even better.

I wouldn’t be the first to list the similarities between running and raving. Music, movement, endorphins. With the fundamentals of both activities aligning so closely, it’s no surprise that adding a high-energy backing track to your run can light up the same part of the brain.

But where the execution obviously differs, I think the two activities can provide some benefit to one another. This is where my argument begins. For one, having a higher fitness level is incredibly useful when it’s day two at a multi-day festival, you and your

mates have found an excellent spot that you can never leave for fear of losing them or yourself and there are at least 5 more hours of artists you’ve been hanging out to witness. Stamina is survival.

(But on the other hand, in my own experience at least, I’ve seen it go both ways. While it never crossed my mind to seek productivity in my partygoing, I’ve come to understand that dancing makes excellent zone 2 cardio. Maybe I’d been training for my transition into running for years before I started.)

I also think regularly partaking in any sort of cardiovascular exercise brings you more in tune with your body. I’m more capable of listening to signals that I might have otherwise ignored, and I think it lends itself to a more sustainable approach to enjoying live music. We’re better equipped to navigate fuel, hydration, a library of different headaches and when you just need a rest. It’s probably 2 parts maturing but I like to think that while running helps me push beyond what I thought I was capable of, I’m also learning to understand and better respect my limits.

Now to move on to my most impenetrable argument: that ravers are better runners simply because they’re having a better time. As noted earlier, running means entering an environment that already boasts similarities to attending a music event. For those who enjoy dance music, there are even fewer factors separating the two activities than for those who don’t. Only with this version, you’re doing wonders for your physical and mental health. Balance!

For me, the talismanic ‘runner’s high’ is hard to distinguish from the pure joy that is running to high-energy music. I’m a firm believer that there’s measurable energy in music and the right track can make or break a session. My running playlist at this point consists of mostly speed house, garage and trance, with the odd slow-paced, easy track for a less intense ride. Hard running to psy trance is also a spiritual experience.

(And when you’re really needing to dig deep, matching BPM to cadence is a guaranteed second wind. I urge you to try it if you’re yet to.)

I’m not going to try and sway anyone by suggesting that dance music is the superior genre for running, or if there even is a superior genre. Whatever a person likes to listen to most is the correct answer. HOWEVER, I do believe there are factors that impact what could be considered more or less optimal for running specifically. My hypothesis is this: running to any music that maintains consistent BPM without interruption is bound to make it easier to lock in. So, if an electronic music set meets the criteria for the ideal running soundtrack, it’s awfully convenient we’re into that.

So there you have it! I rest my case. As always, this is completely unserious and not to be taken as any form of truth, but if you resonate with any of the above, I’ll be pleased. If anything, I hope you get a better run out of it.