Audible Takes on the Virgin Money London Marathon as Official Audio Partner
Running a marathon is one of the ultimate feats of athletic endurance. Crossing the finish line is as much a sign of mental focus as of physical ability. And veteran runners know that training your brain along with your body by immersing in audio is a great way to make the miles fly by.
For Audible listeners who run, that means setting a pace to the rhythm of one of your favorite selections from our library of audiobooks and other spoken-word content. With an Audible title in your ear, you get a partner who’s with you on every mile of the journey.
This year, Audible made the partnership between spoken-word entertainment and long-distance running official by signing a three-year sponsorship deal with the Virgin Money London Marathon, one of the running world’s most popular and prestigious races.
To help bring relevant content to Audible-loving runners around the world, we put together a curated list of running-related titles, sports inspiration, and attention-grabbing comedy selections. And aspiring marathoners found motivation in the 2018 Audible Original Mo-Joe: An 18-Week Marathon Training Diary, which follows professional athletes Sir Mo Farah and Joe Wicks as they coach TV personality George Lamb from the couch to the finish line, chronicling “every early morning, painful blister and moment of triumph.”
There’s nothing like Naomi Alderman’s “Zombies, Run!” to help you pick up the pace.
On April 22, 24 lucky Audible staff members from around the world gathered in London, laced up their running shoes, and headed for the finish line. But they weren’t alone: to help them stay focused on the goal, colleagues from across the company recorded special audio messages of encouragement that the Audible team could listen to if they needed a dose of inspiration during the 26.2-mile race.
Since its founding, Audible and running have gone together like compression socks and sore leg muscles. Audible founder and CEO Don Katz came up with the idea for the company in 1995 while running in Riverside Park with a Walkman—and craving a better way to listen to audiobooks on the go.
“Audio is such an important part of so many people’s exercise routine,” said Tracey Markham, our UK Country Manager. “There’s nothing like Naomi Alderman’s Zombies, Run! to help you pick up the pace, or a live recording from this year’s Fringe Festival to turn stitches into side-splitters.”
Next year’s Virgin Money London Marathon will take place on April 28, 2019. Planning to run? Do some thorough stretches, lace up your shoes, download your favorite titles, and ready, set, listen!
