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Running Tracks
Rob Deering has been listening to music his whole life, but it was only in his mid-thirties that – much to his surprise – he found himself falling in love with the hugely popular, nearly perfect, sometimes preposterous activity of running
In this vividly conjured collection, Rob shares stories of when a run, a place and a tune come together in a life-defining moment. His adventures in running have spanned four continents, fifteen marathons and numberless miles of park and pavement, and the carefully chosen music streaming through his headphones has spurred him forward throughout.
What makes the perfect running tune?
Where can you find the best routes, even in an unfamiliar town?
Why do people put themselves through marathons?
In Running Tracks, Rob Deering shares his sometimes-surprising answers to these questions and explains how a hobby became an obsession that changed his life forever.
In this vividly conjured collection, Rob shares stories of when a run, a place and a tune come together in a life-defining moment. His adventures in running have spanned four continents, fifteen marathons and numberless miles of park and pavement, and the carefully chosen music streaming through his headphones has spurred him forward throughout.
What makes the perfect running tune?
Where can you find the best routes, even in an unfamiliar town?
Why do people put themselves through marathons?
In Running Tracks, Rob Deering shares his sometimes-surprising answers to these questions and explains how a hobby became an obsession that changed his life forever.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 1, 2023
Reading about someone else's running playlist is about as interesting as listening to someone else's dreams. This book is not badly written, but it didn't really do anything for me either. Maybe runners who enjoy putting a lot of thought into what they listen to while running would enjoy it more than I did.
January 10, 2022
As a regular listener to the Running Commentary podcast, of course I was going to buy and read Rob’s book.
Good things I come away with? A few amusing anecdotes (although less outright humour than I might have expected) and a large list of tracks to try out on my running playlist.
Bad things I came away with? The nagging sense that I’m doing it all wrong! Not that Rob is in any way proscriptive or gatekeeping, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything akin to the almost spiritual connection that he seems to have with running, and with the music he listens to as he does it.
An interesting look into his background and running journey and it might just inspire you to get out and achieve something in that area yourself.
Good things I come away with? A few amusing anecdotes (although less outright humour than I might have expected) and a large list of tracks to try out on my running playlist.
Bad things I came away with? The nagging sense that I’m doing it all wrong! Not that Rob is in any way proscriptive or gatekeeping, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything akin to the almost spiritual connection that he seems to have with running, and with the music he listens to as he does it.
An interesting look into his background and running journey and it might just inspire you to get out and achieve something in that area yourself.
October 31, 2021
I loved this book. “The playlist and places that made me a runner” Full disclosure I’m a runner and a big fan of the running commentary podcast made by the author and Paul Tomlinson. So I was always going to buy and read it but it was so well written and such a joyful read that I think even if I hadn’t been a fan I would have loved it anyway. Rob Deering is particularly good at describing routes and countryside without it feeling dry or like a series of directions- he seems to capture his love of his surroundings perfectly. I think if you love running or walking or music you will enjoy this book.
August 8, 2023
I can’t run at the moment, so am getting my fix through the medium of print, starting with Running Tracks by Rob Deering.
These twenty-six adventures in running are accompanied by the author’s perfect running tracks. He’s about a decade younger than me so his selection includes a lot of dance-type club music that’s not really my thing, but there’s some new (to me) stuff that has gone straight onto my running playlists; and I have added some of the "not me" music too, because it's clear it will be terrific to run to as well!
Rob is a comedian, musician and broadcaster that I confess I’d never heard of, but his attitude to running makes me long to be out there again. His honest and open approach offers real insights into why we do what we do – and how to get more pleasure from it. His quite brilliant descriptions of the music blend into depictions of the landscapes he runs through – from Scottish moors and far-flung islands, to canal sides and London streets – to create vivid images that put you right there with him, rolling through the miles.
He's someone who (like many of us) HATED cross country at school and because of the way that was “taught” grew to dislike what they thought running was. He started running again in his thirties when he was almost three decades younger me and he runs far, far further than I ever will, but his attitude is open and welcoming to runners of all ages and abilities.
This is a generous, warm-hearted and inspiring paean to running and runners
These twenty-six adventures in running are accompanied by the author’s perfect running tracks. He’s about a decade younger than me so his selection includes a lot of dance-type club music that’s not really my thing, but there’s some new (to me) stuff that has gone straight onto my running playlists; and I have added some of the "not me" music too, because it's clear it will be terrific to run to as well!
Rob is a comedian, musician and broadcaster that I confess I’d never heard of, but his attitude to running makes me long to be out there again. His honest and open approach offers real insights into why we do what we do – and how to get more pleasure from it. His quite brilliant descriptions of the music blend into depictions of the landscapes he runs through – from Scottish moors and far-flung islands, to canal sides and London streets – to create vivid images that put you right there with him, rolling through the miles.
He's someone who (like many of us) HATED cross country at school and because of the way that was “taught” grew to dislike what they thought running was. He started running again in his thirties when he was almost three decades younger me and he runs far, far further than I ever will, but his attitude is open and welcoming to runners of all ages and abilities.
This is a generous, warm-hearted and inspiring paean to running and runners
October 15, 2021
It’s always interesting to share an insight into someone’s passion and if they are able to translate that into an accessible entertainment. Short answer in this case is yes. Add “I’m Gonna Leave You (The Cinematic Orchestra Remix) to your running mix.
June 3, 2025
This is a superior running book. Why do I say that? Well, first, it avoids the running book cliché where the author starts the first chapter in mid run, and his shins have just exploded at mile 3 and his gu has been stolen by squirrels and blah blah blah, and then he pulls back into some narrative about how he got there from being a 40-a-day smoker who had never even run for a bus in his entire life. No, none of that. This is just a straight 26.2 chapters reflecting on how a song connects with you at the right time and place.
Secondly, it's written by a good but ordinary runner, someone whose level of attainment is within most people's reach, so you feel like you have something to learn that you might be able to use in your own ordinary running life.
Thirdly, he's a comedian so although he's not in full-on comedian mode, it is still pretty funny.
Lastly, it can change your run for the better if you accept his invitation to try out some of the tracks in your own runs. I have been listening to audiobooks during my runs lately because I felt like music wasn't helping (specifically: it was interfering with my ability to hear my breath, making it harder to regulate) but this inspired me to make a new list and include a few of his choices and - well, the result was a wild run where I went faster than I would normally, spurred on by some really chunky tracks. I even tried running a long section of my long run with nothing but The Race For Space as accompaniment and it worked pretty well. I think I'll probably stick with books & podcasts on the long runs, but experiment with music in shorter ones to get my blood pumping a bit.
Secondly, it's written by a good but ordinary runner, someone whose level of attainment is within most people's reach, so you feel like you have something to learn that you might be able to use in your own ordinary running life.
Thirdly, he's a comedian so although he's not in full-on comedian mode, it is still pretty funny.
Lastly, it can change your run for the better if you accept his invitation to try out some of the tracks in your own runs. I have been listening to audiobooks during my runs lately because I felt like music wasn't helping (specifically: it was interfering with my ability to hear my breath, making it harder to regulate) but this inspired me to make a new list and include a few of his choices and - well, the result was a wild run where I went faster than I would normally, spurred on by some really chunky tracks. I even tried running a long section of my long run with nothing but The Race For Space as accompaniment and it worked pretty well. I think I'll probably stick with books & podcasts on the long runs, but experiment with music in shorter ones to get my blood pumping a bit.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews