Running CadenceI recently acquired a bad ass treadmill as part of an effort to get back in shape (more on that later), and I went searching for some USMC cadence recordings to listen to while I run on it. They were harder to find than I thought they would be, so I figured I would share them here in case anyone would like to hear them.

These work songs are sung while a platoon is running in formation and let me tell you - they are motivational. When you hear 80 sets of boots pounding the ground in unison while 80 Marines sing cadence it is a site to behold.

Cadence serves multiple purposes but the two most important are quite practical:

  1. Running long distances, over rough terrain, carrying a load of gear hurts. More than you think. In fact, it’s the reason I’m not in the Corps any more (I had 15 stress fractures in my shins from it). Calling cadence gives you something else to think about.
  2. Breathing rhythm is very important to long distance runners, and calling cadence requires you to breath properly. You alternate between taking in plenty of air, and expelling it while you sing at the top of your lungs. In fact, without actually singing you aren’t getting the benefits of cadence.

So, here are the best recordings I could find. If you know of other good ones please drop a note in the comments.

USMC Cadence Medley (Download)

USMC Running Cadence (Download)

USMC I Used to Sit at Home All Day… (Download)

USMC Fired Up, Feels Good… (Download)

USMC Mission Top Secret… (Download)

Finally, if you’re interested in learning what it takes to actually become a US Marine, check out my article entitled “Corps Boot Camp: How to Make a US Marine“. For even more, here is another site that has a pretty good write up.

Tags: , , ,

Related Articles