"The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" as written by and Stephen Percy Harris....
Tough of the track,
With the wind,
And the rain that's beating down on your back.
Your heart's beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more till the sound
Is ringing in your head,
With every step you tread,
And every breath you take,
Determination makes
You run,
Never stop,
Gotta win, gotta run till you drop,
Keep the pace,
Hold the race,
Your mind is getting clearer,
You're over halfway there but the miles
Just never seem to end
As if you're in a dream,
Not getting anywhere.
It seems so futile.
Run, on and on,
Run, on and on,
The loneliness of the long distance runner.
I've got to keep running the course,
I've got to keep running and win at all costs,
I've got to keep going, be strong,
Must be so determined and push myself on.
Run over stiles, across fields,
Turn to look at who's on your heels,
Way ahead of the field,
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes,
You reach the final stretch,
Ideals are just a trace,
You feel like throwing the race,
It's all so futile.
Run, on and on,
Run, on and on,
The loneliness of the long distance runner.
With the wind,
And the rain that's beating down on your back.
Your heart's beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more till the sound
Is ringing in your head,
With every step you tread,
And every breath you take,
Determination makes
You run,
Never stop,
Gotta win, gotta run till you drop,
Keep the pace,
Hold the race,
Your mind is getting clearer,
You're over halfway there but the miles
Just never seem to end
As if you're in a dream,
Not getting anywhere.
It seems so futile.
Run, on and on,
Run, on and on,
The loneliness of the long distance runner.
I've got to keep running the course,
I've got to keep running and win at all costs,
I've got to keep going, be strong,
Must be so determined and push myself on.
Run over stiles, across fields,
Turn to look at who's on your heels,
Way ahead of the field,
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes,
You reach the final stretch,
Ideals are just a trace,
You feel like throwing the race,
It's all so futile.
Run, on and on,
Run, on and on,
The loneliness of the long distance runner.
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In life, we sometimes have to run on and on, not turn back and never stop, no matter how hard it seems. And if you want to reach a certain aim, you will have to be strong. That's what the song means to me.
It's about a poor teenager (Colin) from Nottingham who doesn't have many plans for his life and doesn't really get into anything more than committing petty crimes. His home life is terrible and when he gets caught robbing a bakery, Colin is the equivalent of a juvenile delinquinet school or sorts.
He finds solace in distance running, attracting the school's authorities but during an important cross-country meet that he is about to win, he stops shortof the finish line to defy his captors.
There was a movie also made based on the book.