Middle Distance Runner

{{Short description|American indie rock band from Washington, D.C.}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

Middle Distance Runner was an American indie rock band from Washington, D.C.

Middle Distance Runner was founded in 1998, but the band didn't play a live show until 2005, shortly before the release of their debut album.[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6543562 Middle Distance Runner, 'Naturally']. NPR, November 27, 2006. The group was an early success on Internet music websites, and credited Amie Street and MySpace with improving their visibility early in their careers.[https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/middle-distance-runner-268109/#! Middle Distance Runner]. Billboard, May 25, 2009. Exposure on blogs, including USA Today's Pop Candy, also raised their profile.[https://dcist.com/story/06/09/13/unbuckled-previ-6/ Unbuckled Preview: Middle Distance Runner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908060419/https://dcist.com/story/06/09/13/unbuckled-previ-6/ |date=2022-09-08 }}. DCist, September 13, 2006. By 2007, the group had received notice in national publications such as Spin and The Washington Post.[https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/music/middle-distance-runner-6310984 Review of Middle Distance Runner EP]. Broward Palm Beach New Times, December 6, 2007. The group's founding bassist, Tony Acampora, left the group in the mid-2000s, and by 2007 had been replaced by Ian Glinka, a former member of the group Black Tie Revue.[https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/dcs-middle-distance-runner-performs-at-garfield-artworks/Content?oid=1339139 D.C.'s Middle Distance Runner performs at Garfield Artworks]. Pittsburgh City Paper, October 4, 2007. Both their debut album, 2006's Plane in Flames, and a 2007 self-titled EP were released independently.[https://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/middle-distance-runner/middle-distance-runner/ Review of Middle Distance Runner EP], Scene Point Blank, November 8, 2007. They signed with the label Engine Room Recordings for the release of 2009's The Sun & Earth.[https://www.popmatters.com/114684-middle-distance-runner-the-sun-and-earth-2496110719.html Review], PopMatters[https://www.qromag.com/middle_distance_runner_the_sun_earth/ Review], QRO Magazine That same year, the group played at NASA's Goddard Visitor Center with space imagery accompaniment.[https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/images/yurinight_mdr.html Featured Image], NASA, April 6, 2009. In 2010, CNN reported that the group was "selling out shows around the country".[https://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/17/middle.distance.runner/index.html Middle Distance Runner takes success personally]. CNN, March 17, 2010.

Little was heard from the group in the early 2010s, though they performed in 2013 in the DC area.[http://m-nyc.thedelimagazine.com/category/bands/middle-distance-runner Middle Distance Runner]. The Deli Magazine, September 24, 2013.