However, how can you possibly think that it is a violation of civil rights to ban head phones? Sorry, but that’s the most ridiculous argument I’ve heard for headphones yet.

You do not have the right to run in a track or road race. You have the privilege. Road races are not regulated by the government, they are put on (mostly) by volunteers who selflessly spend their time organizing, fund raising, and working their events.

Their first concern is that everybody stay safe as they compete in their event, and their second concern is that they raise enough money to benefit whatever charitable organization is receiving the funds raised by the race.

Your race entry fee will sometimes cover the costs of all of the fees and licenses that the race entails, but not always. In many cases, the race entry fees only cover a portion of the cost of running the race and the rest of the money is raised through donations from the local community.

The governing body for the sport here in the United States has mandated that any event that they sanction be headphone free. By complying with the rules, races are able to avoid an exorbitant increase in the costs to purchase the insurance that they need to put the race on.

There are no civil liberties being violated here. While you have every right to boycott those races, I have no intention of doing so because I do not see anything wrong. I don’t personally care if somebody wears headphones (as long as they don’t endanger myself or the other runners) but I do not think that you have the right to wear them just because it gives you a competitive advantage.

I run with ear buds ALL the time. I keep one ear open so I am running safely. I can hear everything around me. The music helps pace me, relaxes me, pumps me up, entertains me,
distracts me, and I enjoy it.

It is one thing to not want to use them yourself, but what I don’t get is why people who choose not to use them act like those of us who do are idiots. I have run full half marathons without music. I’ve run much of my full marathon a few times without music. (Never listened to it the entire marathon because I do enjoy talking to people.)

Would I not enter a marathon that banned them? Possibly, depending on the field. I ran a 30k recently that had such a small field that rarely was anyone even within talking distance. That was a long 2+ hours alone on the the road.

The RnRs aren’t banning them at this point, except (if I recall) for the elites. Honestly, I don’t think they should be banned for the general field. I’m not winning just because I’ve got a podcast playing in my ear. I also think it’ll be pretty difficult to actually enforce in the really large races.

Congrats to phaz30. Oh my, you did a half in 3 months since you started running. In my eyes, you are a great runner.

Yes, I feel like I should hurry up and finish a marathon before music is banned, but nah.. I have to build endurance. And if I need it bad, I will do it without music.

Talk of the iPod ban is ridiculous. Why the constant need to poop in other people’s food? The same cases – training advantage, distracts from the race, whatever – could be made against running partners and clubs.

Which is more of a course hazard? One runner, however distracted, or a half-dozen or so chatting and taking up half the road?

I say that we make things more competitive by banning teams and partners. Everyone should have to run the race alone.

P.S. ARe there no deaf runners? What about their safety?

There are plenty of deaf runners. In fact, I ran the Boston Marathon with one just a few days ago. Well, I ran the first 5 miles with him and got some drinks afterwards, anyway.

As for safety, the rule doesn’t mention anything about safety being a reason for the ban. However, having had around a dozen deaf teammates at one time or another, they are safer than somebody with an iPod. Being deaf is not the same as being distracted.Being deaf is all the time, so they are more likely to be used to not hearing something.Deaf people are used to relying upon their eyes more than their earsBeing deaf does make it more dangerous to run in traffic.

My 20 cents or so, by this point. Heheh. I wrote about being deaf and headphones at Run to Win in response to one of these articles before (Jeanne’s article comparing running with headphones and running with scissors)