The San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, which has its 20th running this weekend, is like a progressive music festival with more than a dozen bands on pop-up stages around town. The only catch is you have to run 13.1 miles to hear them all.

But nearly 5,000 people did just that last year — along with another 3,700 who participated in the accompanying 5K and 10K runs — so there must be something about the music that gets legs pumping.

The lineup of bands and DJs is so eclectic that if you don’t like something you’re hearing, just run a little faster to the next spot. There’s mariachi, classic rock, country, electronic dance and plain ol’ rock ‘n’ roll with the local lineup including Mariachi Estelar, Math Class, Cadillac Jack, the Black Pandas and School of Rock.

At the finish-line fest

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