The NYC Marathon is the world’s biggest and one of its most famous marathons. Runners travel from all over the world to run the iconic streets of NYC, and to experience its many vibrant neighborhoods. But, due to the pandemic, it was unsafe to host the marathon in person. So all 45,000 runners were asked to compete virtually at home and the expected 3 million live spectators would miss the event all together. A far from ideal experience for all parties. So, Volvo, a brand dedicated to making roads safer for drivers and pedestrians, found a way to bring the NYC Marathon experience to runners and fans everywhere. Volvo re-created the entire 26.2-mile Marathon, through sound.

Volvo brought the iconic soundscape of the marathon right to runners' ears so they could experience New York’s iconic streets from all over the world, one step at a time. The first audio marathon ever was created. Using real audio captured along the marathon route, from Staten Island, to Harlem, to Central Park, the playlist featured tracks from 13 iconic neighborhoods. Volvo introduced the RUN NY playlist by Volvo, a 60-track audio poem. Runners were now able to safely get in the New York State of mind and run from anywhere on Earth. Volvo promoted where fans share their running experiences across digital platforms, targeting paid social and within Spotify.