Marathoner D-Qed for using iPod
Posted on 13 October 2009, at 11:30 am, by Larry Greenberg
Image courtesy of JS Online
As a marathon runner myself (I’m currently training for what will be my 11th marathon) I took special note of this story.
There has been much debate over the last few years regarding the use of iPods (or any Mp3 players) by runners during races. Many argue the use of headphones impairs a persons hearing so much during a race that it makes them unsafe. They might not be able to hear directions from an on course marshal or warnings from a police officer. It also sometimes causes a problem with other runners trying to pass them. They sometimes can’t hear runners coming up behind them asking for them to move over etc.
The U.S. Track and Field Association created a rule two years ago banning the use of all iPods by runners in their sanctioned races. Any runner caught wearing an iPod during a race would be removed from the course. For the most part the rule was not enforced. In large races, with 25,000 or more participants how could it be? Add to that the fact that besides the top 10 or so runners the remaining 24,990 runners were running for nothing more than fun and it made it even harder to enforce.
U.S. Track and Field then changed the policy and left it up to individual race directors to decide whether or not they enforced the rule. Only a few did, most simply ignored it. But one thing seemed to remain constant. While the “masses” were and are generally allowed the use of iPods, elite runners (those competing for prize money) are not.
Fast forward to this month’s Lakefront Marathon. Here’s the somewhat crazy chain of events that occurred.
The woman’s winner of the race (she was the first woman to cross the finish line), Cassie Peller, was disqualified from the race for accepting aid, in the form of a water bottle, from a friend, outside an official aid station. This is against the rules.
That made the second woman who crossed the finish line, Jennifer Goebel, the winner. But not so fast. It seems pictures from the race show Goebel with an iPod tucked into her shorts, and she admitted to using the device at times during the race. Goebel was therefore also disqualified.
Now it looks like Corina Canitz, the third woman to cross the finish line, will be awarded the first place prize.
Are you a runner? What are your thoughts on using iPods during races?
You can read more about the whole chain of events here.
Via JSonline
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October 13th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I’m a pretty casual runner and don’t stretch myself beyond 5ks (yet), but from my perspective this is ridiculous. The iPod didn’t run for her, it didn’t make her muscles hurt less or her lungs work better, so dq’ing her over it is pretty harsh.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I am a runner. While I understand the logic behind the ban, and I support its ban among the elite runners eligible for prizes, I personally disagree with it for the rest of the pack in the race.
For the elite, the iPod could contain information, pacing and, perhaps, even real-time communication with a coach, and I can support its ban. For the non-elite, however, I do not understand the logic that says an iPod is disallowed because it impairs a runner, while deaf runners, blind runners – who would have the same exact impairments – are not prevented from running (blind runners typically do have guides, but not always – the elite runner Marla Runyon ran both track and road races without a guide at times.)
This ban, of course, is in place due to fear of lawsuits that come after a runner using an iPod is injured in one of the ways that the USATF and the organizers (and their insurers) fear. But all runners sign a legal waiver when they enter a race. Add the stuff that the race organizers will not be responsible for injuries caused by the use of electronic devices that could impair a runner to the waiver, that’s what I say.
I do run in races that ban iPods, etc. and do not use them in these races. (Well, I actually use the Nike+ stuff without headphones – i.e., just to capture the running data for the race, not to listen to music, with the iPod in a pocket and nothing in my ears.) As a matter of fact, I’m finding that listening to anything during a race is hard to do without cranking the volume, so I just do not bother in the races I’ve run in the last 18 months, even when they are not prohibited. But I think that if somebody needs to listen to whatever it is that motivates them to finish, it’s not harming anybody to let them use the devices.
By the way, to me, it is the responsibility of the passing runner to find a path, not the runner being passed to allow somebody through. That’s not a valid reason to ban them, in my opinion. (Yes, I have been occasionally frustrated by being boxed in at the start of events. But so it goes – that’s part of the race.)
So, again, I agree with a ban on championship competitors – put on an electronic device of any sort and you are automatically in the pack – but not for the pack.
October 13th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I’ve been a runner, a marathoner, specifically, and I can understand the safety reasons for not wearing headphones during a run. But usually, that applies more to practice runs where the ability to hear traffic is very important. During an official race, the course is usually closed, so the safety issue, in my mind, becomes less important.
Personally, I always prefered to run with friends and to maintain a conversation during runs, but when I run alone, I almost always do it with music.
I guess it’s a good thing I’m FAR from an elite runner!
October 14th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Yeah , i find this pretty dumb considering its a closed course.
I use this app to listen to music while I run all the time and its great.
The app is called Cadence, it matches the music from your itunes library to the speed you are running at, helps motivate me and keep my pace.
http://www.cadenceapp.com