Fitness and music often go hand-in-hand and in 2016, the two will combine for an epic collaboration that will reach dozens of cities across the globe.  The Ultimate 5K Running and Music Festival, The Music Run, will hit 40 cities in over 18 countries over the course of the year. The Music Run is powered by 24 Hour Fitness and will kick off its national debut at the LA Fairplex in Pomona on Saturday, January 9. The race may be one of the most fun ways to stay fit in the New Year, as each race event includes an after party packed with live music from bands and DJs. Sebu from the indie-pop duo, Capital Cities, will perform a DJ set at the kick-off race in Los Angeles, and the indie-folk band, Magic Giant, is set to perform as well.


(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)

Through a music voting app and Spotify, The Music Run allows runners to select the soundtrack of the race by voting for their favorite songs prior to the event. The songs with the most votes become the official run playlist, which will be played out on the race course through 120 speakers on the day of the event. The run will end with the ultimate after-run music festival that features live bands, DJs, dancers, laser lights, LED screens, chill out zones and more.

Other dates scheduled for the event include Austin on February 6 and Dallas on March 12, with many more dates to follow. Although 2016 will push the The Music Run into significant territory, it first kicked off with an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2014. As it stands, the event has already been experienced by more than 100,000 participants across 12 events and 9 countries from Singapore to Hamburg. Participants can register for the event, which starts at $30, by visiting TheMusicRun.com.

Both Sebu from Capital Cities and Magic Giant are Los Angeles-natives. Capital Cities got their start in 2011 after independently releasing their first EP. After a quick discovery on a Peru radio station, the duo's hit song, "Safe and Sound," went multi-platinum in numerous countries including the U.S., Canada, Germany and Mexico. The track hit the No. 8 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the group opened up for Katy Perry on her Prismatic Tour in 2014.

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