Considering his previous works have featured defecation and vomiting, Martin Creed's latest foray into the art world ticks some surprisingly politically correct boxes.

Work No 850 sees runners sprinting through Tate Britain's neo-classical sculpture galleries every 30 seconds over the next four months, and it's surely only a matter of time before his efforts are hijacked by those wanting to spark interest in London 2012 – or the fat police hoping to persuade the obese that a little exercise would be much better than another cream cake.

Creed, the Wakefield-born artist who won the Turner Prize for an empty gallery in which the lights switched on and off every five seconds, was never likely to win many fans among those who like nothing better than a nice still-life, but his latest work has successfully sent traditionalists rushing to the dictionary. Whatever the correct definition of art is, they are desperately hoping Creed doesn't fit it.

Unsurprisingly, the 39-year-old, previously responsible for a video installation of a girl compulsively vomiting, is unrepentant about Work No 850, denying the accusations of pretentiousness.

"To me, it's music," he says "It's not pretentious because they are not pretending to run. This is something to look at, just like a painting.

"Art is whatever people want it to be. I make my work and hope that people enjoy it and find something in it."

Creed advertised in running magazines and sports clubs and while the search goes
on for more sprinters, visitors are not being encouraged to join in just in case they do themselves an injury. Creed has at least one champion in Stephen Deuchar, the director of Tate Britain, who believes Work No 850 has successfully "extended
the study of the sculpted human form".

Perhaps. However, some have wondered whether those in search of anatomical enlightenment wouldn't do better in the the local park?

"I'm not saying they shouldn't, but the point about making it very regular is you can rely on it being here," says Creed.

"A gallery is a theatre for looking at things, it makes it easier. I like watching people run. It's something you can do with your body without the need for a football or a pool. That's why I think
it's beautiful. It's also an example of not standing still. Running fast is like the exact opposite of death."

Each 12 to 15-second run through the 86-metre gallery is followed by an equivalent pause with the runners being paid £40 for a four-hour stint.

"The regularity of it is very important. There's a pattern for you to look at. You'll be sure that they're coming every 30 seconds so hopefully you can enjoy it."

Creed's work was partly inspired by a five-minute run around the catacombs of the Cappuccini monks in Palermo, Italy, when he arrived at the crypt just before closing time.

"I thought, 'Why do you have to look at paintings for a long time? Why not look for a second?'," he says. "Sometimes when you go around museums, you feel it's quite a laborious task.

"I try to run once every couple of weeks. I'm not very good at it. I'm training to be in my own art work which is about the purest expression of human vitality."

The work is part of a series of displays which have previously included Mark Wallinger's recreation of Brian Haw's Parliament Square anti-war protest and an installation of a semi-detached house by Michael Landy, and, as those with even the most limited experience of the art world know, controversy is good news when it comes to boosting visitor numbers.