Marathoners Rocking New York is the rock-fueled journey of a punk loving woman named Sheena. She’s on the cusp of turning 30 with little to show for it. Her rock star dreams are not coming true. She succeeded at the downtown party lifestyle but not at keeping a band together. After stumbling on the New York City Marathon with friends, Sheena accepts a drunken dare to run it the following year. To her surprise, and everyone else’s she actually enjoys the training and makes it to start line on time.
As Sheena runs, Marathoners Rocking New York is the guitar-driven soundtrack going on in her mind. The songs are influenced by the early punk movement in 1970’s New York with bands like the Ramones, Blondie, The Patti Smith Group, and Television. Both punk and the 5 borough version of the marathon started in the 70’s and this album was inspired by the DIY, making something out of nothing spirit that fueled both. It is in an excellent 180 bpm tempo for running playlists and a useful tool for marathon training that can be downloaded through Apple Music or streamed on Spotify, YouTube or SoundCloud.
Download Marathoners Rocking New York on Apple Music
Songs represent each section of the NYC Marathon course:
It’s a condensed version of the marathon in under an hour
Timing of songs mimics the course (approx. 1:30 min = 1 mile)
Run to the songs for training visualization, try it as a treadmill workout!
All songs encourage a 180+ bpm/step per min stride rate
Can be done at ANY pace
Use treadmill elevations (below) to get a sense of the hills
Check out the maps with course elevations on the song pages
Intended to get you in the zone & give you a real runner’s high! (Results are up to you, since it’s all in your head)
It’s a guitar-driven running rock opera with female vocals
Check it out on YouTube
Download the whole thing on Apple Music
Got questions about running to 180 bpm? Reach out!
NY Marathon Course Notes with Treadmill Elevations
The speed is up to you!
All songs are written to encourage a 180 bpm stride rate. 180 bpm is a good tempo for running because it encourages high turnover and a quick stride rate and can be done at any pace. Click the song titles for more info on the course and maps with elevation. It’s the perfect playlist for a virtual NYC Marathon treadmill workout.
Time: 2:08 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 1.0 | Start Line: Staten Island
2. Verrazano
Time: 2:28 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 4.0 | Miles 0-2: The Verrazano Bridge
Time: 3:54 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 1.0 | Miles 2-4: 4th Ave Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Time: 2:04 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 2.0 | Miles 4-6: 4th Ave, Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Time: 2:48 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 1.0 | Miles 6-8: 4th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Time: 3:14 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 2.0 | Miles 8-10: Ft Greene-Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Time: 4:02 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 0.0 | Miles 10-13: Willamsburg-Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Time: 1:03 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 4.0 | Miles 13-13.5: The Pulaski Bridge
9. Queens (Rockaway is So Far Away)
Time: 2:07 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 1.0 | Miles 13.5-15: Long Island City, Queens
10. The Queensboro Bridge Song
Time: 1:56 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 4.0 | Miles 15-16: The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge
Time: 2:34 | Tempo: 180 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 1.0 | Miles 16-18: 1st Ave, Manhattan.
12. The Flow
Time: 1:52 | Tempo: 180 | Treadmill Elevation: 0.0 | Miles 18-19.5: 1st Ave, Manhattan
Time: 1:34 | Tempo: 180 | Treadmill Elevation: 2.0 | Miles 19.5-21: The Bronx
14. Keep On Moving
Time: 3:00 | Tempo: 93 (or 186) bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 1.0 | Miles 21-23: Harlem, Manhattan
15. 5th Ave: So Close But So Far
Time: 2:12 | Tempo: 188 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: 2.5 | Miles 23-24.5: 5th Ave, Manhattan
16. Hilly Streets
Time: 2:10 | Tempo: 188 bpm | Treadmill Elevation: start on 2.5 & take it down .5 for each verse | Miles 24.5-25.5: Central Park, Manhattan
Time: 2:24 | Tempo: 190 | Treadmill Elevation: start on 1.0 and raise 2.0 halfway and 3.0 for the last verse | Miles 25.5-26.2: Central Park South to Tavern on the Green, Manhattan
Time: 5:16 | Tempo: 180 | Treadmill Elevation: 0.0 | Miles 26.2+: The waddle out of Central Park
Total Time = 46:47 (The distance depends on how fast you are…)
(c) 2013 – All songs are written and performed by Erin Molloy on vocals and guitar with Andrew Molloy on back-up vocals. Producer Daniel Grimmett provided all other instrumentals (including lead guitar riffs and solos), mixing and mastering. Cover art photo by Michael Chadwick of Chadwick Creative Arts, LLC. Photo edited by Erin Molloy.