Swiftie 5K: A race that needs plenty of tailoring
As a sea of sodden, sequined runners stormed through Battersea Park on Saturday morning, onlookers didn’t quite know what to think. Nor, to be honest, did those running the race.
The themed run finally began after staff – who couldn’t locate the start line – spent a chaotic 30 minutes shuffling runners back and forth. We were then moved again to watch ‘Taylor’ – whom we had given up all hopes of seeing by that point – perform a one-song warm-up. Despite lookalike Taylor’s tardy arrival, it was a fun warm-up all the same. Without my glasses and squinting through the rain, she did resemble the real deal.
Before the chaos ensued, I spotted what I believe was the best outfit of the day. The wearer of said outfit turned out to be Rob from Windsor. ‘I just like quirky little races and this one looks fantastic,’ he told me. When I asked what he was most excited about, laughing, he said: ‘Getting somewhere warm, to be honest. It’s a bit nippy, but it is February, so it’s got to be expected. It’s going to be a great race – it attracts fun crowds, this kind of race.’
A Taylor Swift themed race is a great idea. It’s commercially clever – Swift’s fan base is unbelievably dedicated. The pop sensation’s recent Eras Tour, which spanned five continents, lasted 632 days, included 149 shows and grossed a record-breaking $2 billion in ticket sales, which is twice as much as any other tour in history.
Swift also made history last year when she became the first female artist to win Album of the Year four times. What’s more, 2024 was her second year in a row as Spotify’s most-streamed artist, with more than 26.6 billion streams.
You’ve got to have some serious stamina to perform to the level that Swift did on her Eras Tour. Each show included a set list of 44-46 songs and lasted more than three hours. It’s no surprise that T. Swift’s pre-tour workout is intense. In 2023, she told TIME that her workout routine involved running on the treadmill every day while singing the entire Eras setlist aloud.
While I don’t think that I would have had the skill or fitness to belt out Taylor’s tracklist while running a 5K, some more music during the race would have been nice. While the race promised four bike pacers playing Taylor’s top hits throughout, we encountered just one pacer who was running rather than cycling and who shrugged when we asked his pace. ‘Maybe between 30 and 35 minutes?’ he said. I was helping my friend Lucy – a hardcore Swiftie – to attempt sub-30, so we thought that we’d stick with him. However, about two songs in, he sped off into the distance. We still finished sub-30, so he didn’t stick to his pacing guestimate whatsoever.
Then, Lucy’s time didn’t even register, apparently due to poor signal in the park. After 48 hours, a time did show up on the results – but it was almost 40 seconds off. There’s video evidence of her finishing a couple of seconds after me, too, so it’s a shame that the official time didn’t reflect her hard-earned PB.
But, as we know, running isn’t all about PBs. It’s also about finding joy in movement, having fun and staying healthy – another reason the Swiftie 5K is a good concept. There was a really friendly and supportive vibe, which didn’t waver despite the rain and poor organisation. The Swifties brought the community element of their fanbase to this event, along with other quirks of the Eras Tour, including friendship bracelet trading. Families ran with young children and the event attracted people who wouldn’t have necessarily run otherwise.
Naomi, who lives in Kingston, said that she’d previously never run for more than seven minutes at a time. After finishing the race, Naomi said: ‘There wasn’t much music around the course as hoped for, but it was quite nice that everyone else was playing music off their phones, so we had a little sing every now and again. I’d say that it [the theme] definitely added to the fun vibes that got me here.’ Her favourite part? ‘I honestly think that the medal is great. I love my medal.’ Naomi said that she now hopes to enter a 10K in a few months’ time.
The medal is cool. However, there were no Taylor-themed goodie bags, as was advertised. While I think calling the event ‘the Fyre Festival of 5Ks’ – as one social media user did – is a bit harsh, for £27.99 a ticket, I’m not sure that runners got what they deserved.
I still had a fun morning dressing up and meeting friends and, like Rob, was enticed by the quirky element of the race. Despite the poor organisation, it seemed as though a lot of Swifties managed to ‘Shake it Off’ and still have fun.
In response to the issues raised in this race review, organisers said: ‘Run Fanatics is a passion for us – a husband and wife duo combining our two loves: running and Taylor Swift! While we’ve received a lot of positive feedback, we also recognise that some aspects of the event did not meet expectations, and for that, we’re truly sorry. Our goal is to ensure that every Swiftie 5K is an unforgettable experience, and we’re taking your feedback seriously.’
According to Run Fanatics, future improvements will include delivering race bibs in advance, hiring more event staff, sourcing a proper DJ and sound team and halving the number of participants.
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