“The Runner” by Bob Singleton is a programmatic concert work, written in a 21st-century cinematic style for a medium-size orchestra. It is the soundtrack to a “mind movie” that follows a marathon runner from the night before a marathon to the finish of a 26.2-mile foot race. The marathon is also a metaphor for dedication, growth, struggle, and perseverance in all aspects of life.
The piece follows a following narrative from beginning to end:
1. Sleep to Awakening
2. Pre-Race to Start
3. Early Stage to First Difficulty
4. Mid-Race Cruise
5. The Wall
6. Runner’s High to the Finish