Why I learned to stop worrying and love bone conducting headphones

I’m a very recent convert to running with music – and an even more recent one to racing with it (when it’s safe and allowed). This is despite having blazed through Rob Deering’s hilarious book Running Tracks on a single flight a few years back. I understood why people enjoyed merging music with movement but didn’t want headphones to shut me off – from the outside world, or from my own breathing and bodily signals.

But since my wife bought me a pair of Shokz OpenRun bone conducting headphones for Christmas, I’ve relaxed. We were both sceptical they’d be more than a novelty. Now I use them every other day – and in certain races too.

Here’s why they’ve won me over:

1. You can still hear what’s going on
It’s an odd sensation at first – music playing through your cheekbones. The initial tingling is short-lived, and the sound quality is much better than I expected. You still hear your surroundings (unlike with in-ear buds), so you stay partially tuned into traffic, bikes and other runners. That said, I always switch them off when running on roads or in the dark – times when you need every sense sharp.

2. Music makes the miles fly
A good playlist can transform a session. It shifts your mental focus, dulls perceived effort and breaks up long blocks of time. I often don’t notice how hard I’m breathing until a song stops. It’s a pleasant form of distraction – and distraction is underrated when you’re 20K into a solo long run.

3. They can actually help you race faster
I programme playlists with specific songs timed to match the structure of a race. I always start with The Higher You Fly, the Sweeter the Fall by The Bracknall and finish with Narayan by The Prodigy. Familiar tracks become cues – almost Pavlovian. My legs know what to do when Narayan kicks in. Even at 3:00/km pace, the headphones stay firmly in place.

4. They’re good company on long runs
Marathon training can be lonely. Podcasts – like The Running Channel – keep you entertained and informed while clocking big solo mileage. It’s not just about the data. Sometimes it’s about having a laugh or hearing a fellow runner moan about the same things you’re moaning about.

5. Your Garmin can talk to you
When doing structured workouts, my Garmin takes control of the headphones to cue zone changes, lap splits or reminders. It’s seamless and helps me stay on track without staring at my watch mid-stride.

6. You can always turn them off
Sometimes there’s no substitute for bird song and full immersion in your surroundings. You don’t need to commit to sound the whole way. A quick button press pauses everything. It’s not all or nothing.

7. They’re race legal (with caveats)
Under UKA rules, bone conducting headphones are permitted in licensed road races where the road is closed or headphones aren’t otherwise prohibited. Many other countries have similar allowances – but always check the event rules. Traditional in-ear headphones are often banned for safety reasons, but bone conducting sets are a smart workaround.

8. They’re not flawless – but they’re close
Some songs (for me, always Coldplay, weirdly) cause odd buzzing. And yes, my battery died 10 minutes before the end of a recent marathon attempt – fading in and out just as I was trying to focus. Lesson learned. Put OpenRun 2 on next year’s Christmas list.

Final word
Bone conducting headphones won’t suit every run – and shouldn’t. But they’ve earned a permanent place in my kit. I’ve PBed over every distance since using them, and they make training feel lighter, fresher and less lonely. Maybe it’s time to dust off Running Tracks and read it again – this time with the soundtrack on.