Music players might be banned from WRM and Cowtown

Can you Run the Rock with no rock?

The governing body for running's ban on headphones and portable audio players during sanctioned races means no iPods at Wellstone's Dallas White Rock Marathon on Dec. 9.

USA Track and Field spokeswoman Jill Geer said the change is "fundamentally a safety and liability issue."

"When runners are competing in a race, they need to be aware of their surroundings for their safety and others," she said. "Our rules are in place to ensure a fair and safe competition."

White Rock race director Marcus Grunewald echoed Ms. Geer, noting that with 13,000 participants on the course, runners must be aware of their surroundings. And they must be able to hear officials giving instructions in case of an emergency, he said, citing last month's heat-shortened Chicago Marathon as an example.

"Look what happened in Chicago. That's a good example of why people should not wear iPods because people didn't know what was going on," Mr. Grunewald said. "It took longer to get the word out."

Mr. Grunewald said USA Track and Field also banned headsets because they may give elite athletes an unfair competitive advantage if, for example, they can get messages from their coaches about split times or an advancing competitor.

But although race directors acknowledge that the decision is primarily meant to ensure safety, they also note that it is extremely difficult to police.

"We're not going to proactively enforce the rule. We will make announcements that people can be disqualified per the USA Track and Field ruling," Mr. Grunewald said.

He said the governing organization will have five to 10 officials around the course who may notify runners that they can be disqualified if they do not remove a music device.

And if a runner lodges a protest against another's behavior on the course, White Rock officials will consider whether the offending runner had an audio player in deciding whether to make a disqualification, he said.

He said that in his 10 years with the race only one protest had been filed. And that was when music devices were permitted.

"We will not be heavy-handed in enforcing it," said John Conley, race director for the Feb. 17 AT&T Austin Marathon, which draws 11,000 runners. "It's more of a practical matter. I don't know how I would enforce it. We are not equipped to tap someone on the shoulder and tell them they need to get rid of their iPod."

He said that runners at a marathon in Minnesota were asked to turn in their music devices at a clothing drop where personal items such as car keys and dry clothes were being left. Mr. Conley said he did not intend to be responsible for thousands of expensive audio devices.

Triathlon officials have banned music players for about a decade, using time penalties ranging from two to six minutes as a deterrent.

"We have a disciplined and regulated sport," said Jack Weiss, race director for Euless-based Ironhead Race Productions. "Our athletes don't even try wearing headsets."

Mr. Weiss said one race official per 100 entrants is assigned to look for the devices and mark the penalties. He said he also makes the rule clear in race literature and announcements before the race.

"I tell them, 'The Rolling Stones may have trained you for this race, but now you are on your own,' " he said.

Elite runners usually do not listen to music because they are concentrating on winning, said Melisa Christian, a Dallas runner who has qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials.

"In race conditions, it's not safe because you do need to be aware of your surroundings at all times," she said. "You really need to be in tune with your body and rhythm. If you have music clouding that, you are not going to run as well as you would otherwise."

Karen Littlejohn, 41, of Little Elm participates in marathons to finish, not to race, and finds that music helps push her toward the finish line.

"It's very motivating to have it, especially if you are running by yourself," she said.

Ms. Littlejohn, who ran the Chicago Marathon until the course closed, said the music did not affect her ability to hear instructions from officials.

"They had bullhorns, and everyone around me was in mass panic anyway," she said. "I keep it low enough where I can hear."

Even high-performance runners occasionally like to listen to some tunes while they work out.

Ms. Christian, 30, said she listens to John Mayer during an "easy" training run.

"I like it on easy runs because it helps me to not think about running," she said. "I like to daydream and enjoy the day. But I don't do it on hard runs because it's a big distraction."

Mr. Grunewald noted that White Rock organizers have arranged for at least 40 bands to perform along the course, so runners won't have to go far without musical accompaniment.

"We're wasting our time," he said, "if everyone's going to be wearing iPods."

Staff writer Linda Leavell contributed to this report.