Running News Daily

Superstar Drummer Travis Barker is Finding New Rhythm with Running

After a near-fatal plane crash, the Blink-182 generational talent is redefining himself and the sport. We caught up with him (literally) during his 5K race in Queens.

It’s 8:15 A.M. in New York City and I’m racing through hoards of tattooed limbs, tip-dyed mohawks, cotton band T-shirts, and people attempting to stay upright while taking selfies.

Three minutes later, I reach a small group of runners struggling to keep up with Travis Barker, the legendary drummer for Blink-182. He’s hauling, a black bandana flapping under his cap, phone in one hand, cardboard box of water in the other.

It’s not a genre of running I ever thought would exist. But Barker’s run makes sense given a new craze taking root. Suddenly, running is social. It’s wellness. It’s cool. And I’m happy to add it to my playlist.

On July 21, I attended Run Travis Run, an event billed as a glimpse into Barker’s pre-show routine. Apparently his pre-show routine involves racing a 5K around the empty parking lot of Citi Field, the 42,000-person stadium in Queens where Blink-182 would be performing a sold-out show 12 hours later. Because that’s what we were doing as I sprinted to catch up to him.

It’s the second event of the new series led by Barker, 48, who began running consistently after a near-death airplane crash in 2008 that left 70 percent of his body covered in burns. He spent 11 weeks in hospitals and burn centers, undergoing 16 surgeries. Doctors told him he may never be able to walk or play the drums again.

In true punk fashion, Barker—who had never seriously played sports in his life—was determined to prove them wrong.

He started focusing on wellness and self-discovery. Running proved key in replacing his addictions to smoking and painkillers. He smirks while talking about how much he loves running, and it’s clear how he wants to inspire others to get into it, too.

Barker got three hours of sleep last night thanks to pre-race and pre-concert nerves: “Of course, I’m focusing on trying to sleep, so I get less and less of it because I’m so hyped up.” He calms himself down by listening to Tim Grover’s Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable. “That audiobook is like my Bible,” he says. I was listening to chapter 8 on the way here, which was talking about getting in the zone. He talks about coolers, closers, cleaners. I figured out I’m a cleaner. I don’t do it for a pat on the back or recognition, I do it for myself. I’m not in competition with anyone. It’s a fire within myself.”

Cleaners, according to Grover, don’t wait to be asked. They just do it.