U.S. headphone ban reversed

The USATF (USA Track & Field), the American governing body for athletics, has modified its controversial rule on the wearing of headphones during road races, so that it only affects elite athletes competing for prize money. The rule was modified near the end of 2008 to enable race directors to choose to allow the use of headphones by runners in non-championship events.

While the ban didn’t directly affect Canadian races, some of the confusion spilled across the border. Charlotte Brookes, registration manager for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, says their race received more than 100 emails last year about their position on headphones.

Canada Running Series race director Alan Brookes welcomes the news. “Generally, we’re very pleased with the new policy,” he says. “It’s a sensible approach. Elite runners racing for prizes don’t run with tunes; recreational runners looking for a marathon life-experience do. The new ruling makes things clear for runners across the continent.”

Alan Brookes says using music on MP3 players has become “an integral part of the running experience for recreational runners.” The situation last year was confusing for runners, says Brookes, with some races upholding the ban and some openly opposing it. Plus, he says, it was generally impossible to police