Sports doctor designs first musical half-marathon

Among acts at the start of the race will be Imperial Leisure, a 10-piece band playing a blend of ska, rap and rock music, while The Royal Artillery Band will be stationed outside an army barracks a few miles on, playing tunes such as the Raiders March, made famous in the Indiana Jones films.

Karageorghis, who is also a keen jazz pianist and former sprint runner, says he is determined not to stretch or educate the athletes musically as they run their course.

He is after simple strong rhythms, a tempo which would ideally coincides with a runner's pace -- Gebrselassie's favorite "Scatman" has tempo of around 135 beats per minute -- and lyrics which "inspire by association."

It's no accident that the famously tough training scenes from the blockbuster boxing film Rocky III are set to "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, he says.

And little surprise, then, that his recommendations for training tracks ahead of the race include "Gotta Get Through This" by Daniel Beddingfield, "The only way is up" by Yazz, and -- of course -- "Run to You" by Bryan Adams and the theme tune "Chariots of Fire."

(Editing by Paul Casciato)