how many of you got dq for wearing ipods at races

Hi , I took part in the Brentwood 1/2 yesterday i had a fab race & got a pb of 1.55  so was really chuffed, however i got disqualified... as i was wearing one ear piece in of my ipod!  [ luckily was wearing my garmin so knew my time!]  Wouldn't have minded but most of the time i didn't have it playing but didn't take it out as it would have been flapping about & driving me nuts!!  I have done this race 6 times before & never known that ipods where not permitted. I did go back over the rules & in  the small print on the 2nd page it does say no ipods/mp3 players, so i am in the wrong, which i accept, however its a shame they couldn't have publised the ruling more, i didn't see any signs up to say no ipods at the start or hear any anouncements [ no i wasn't listening to eye of the tiger then before anyone comments!!]  All in all a fab race, i understand that the wearing of ipods can cause problems but having done the race before i know what the roads & lanes can be like, hence i  only put one earpiece in, so i could listen for traffic & commands if they where called.

Anyone else got dq at Brentwood or any other races??

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Comments

  • 69 in total i am reliably informed!!
  • Thanks for that bit of info, shame i didn't see it before i entered!!  Like i said i'm in the wrong & accept that , although a few others i ran with got away with it!!  Didn't even see that they had made it a ruling last year!! perhaps i'm just dense!
  • Good.

    Best news I've had all day.

    I think every race organiser should do it and maybe then we could close this debate forever.

    By the way - A DQ means no PB.

  • OK - I'm being harsh.

    I apologise for that.

    Sentiment remains the same though. I think ALL runners with headphones in should be DQ'ed.

  • You won't believe me but its actually the first race i've ever worn an ipod in!!! As  the route is around lots of lanes where there is not many supporters i thought it may relieve the boredom of me telling myself to get moving!

  • Would you wear it again, out of interest?image
  • I might add I'm trying to break sub 2 and I'm a bit jealous of that 1.55....image
  • Oh Sian...Brentwood is one of the best halfs i've ever done.....some of those villages are amazing...compared to some that are dead boring.
  • HALVES, FF! image

    Back to school! You have baby brain! image

  • CAN'T HEAR YOU I HAVE MY IPOD ON

  • If you think the course is boring then why do it at all?
  • Seems harsh without specifically advertising it though.  Bet they didn't DNQ people using GPS.
  • I hate the no headphones rule and is incredibly harsh if people are disqualified, might be in the rules, but running should try and be inclusive as possible. I can always hear marshals and cars with my music on, if I go the wrong way or get run over then it's my loss.

    Deaf people are allowed to run, what's the difference?

    I've been warned by lots of marshalls at the end of races that I could be disqualified, it hasn't happened yet though. If races start enforcing it regularly and I therefore don't get a time etc. I'll stop entering races and just happen to be running the same route at the same time.

  • Real time pacing info is a pacing aid and therefore againt the rules.  Ipods are banned as an aid, but arer highlighted because of H&S.

  • David - your arguments have been resented countless times over the past few years by others and they don't count as, as you have stated yourself, it's in the rules.  Simple as I'm afraid.
  • no i wouldn't wear an ipod again as i wouldn't go against a rule, i'm a good girl usually!!  And yep the villages are lovely [ i live just down the road!] but there are long stretches that have no supporters as they cannot get there!   And no its not a boring race, if it was i wouldn't do it, what i ment was that during those stretches where there is no support rather than listening to myself huffing & puffing a bit of val donagan  [can't spell it so you know its not a favourite!!] wouldn't go a miss!!
  • kittenkat wrote (see)
    Badly Drawn Bloke wrote (see)

    Real time pacing info is a pacing aid and therefore againt the rules.  Ipods are banned as an aid, but arer highlighted because of H&S.

    Couldn't a watch and mile markers be counted as a pacing aid in that case?
    And pacers for that matter?

    Sian - live and learn. Unfortunately for you ipods and races are a contentious topic on the forum. Escape while you can.
  • Not according to the rules.  It's not real time.  Using the markers and a watch is part of the skill of racing, rather than looking at a device every few seconds to ensure you're on course, or learning to pace yourself.

  • abingdon have DQ'd people for wearing them ....they even informed someone on these threads before that if they wore them they would be stopped from entering the stadium at the finish and therefore would not be able to finish the course...............The person had been boasting on here that as it was public roads the organisers could not stop them wearing an ipod whatever they stated on the entry form...........

    ....they make it quite clear...........I find it hard to believe that they didn't mention it at the start when they were going to take a firm line with it.....

  • I'm guessing that pacers themselves are breaking the rules, but if someone happens to stick with them, they aren't.  I've no idea how pacemakers for elites work.

    But the point is that music players are banned in the rules as technical assistance, just as GPS pace info is too.  The former is more of an issue because of H&S but mainly because of people's prejudice.   So, if a rule is going to enforced I think it should clearly say in the race instructions, not just within the UKA rules which most wont read, together with a reminder of the some of the other technical assistance rules too.

  • Well i didn't see anything & neither did the other 6 to 8 people around me all wearing ipods!! On another site i posted the same thread & a marshall from another race posted that they helped out at a race that banned ipods & at the start they had brightly coloured mesh all along the start explainind that no ipods should be used. Mind you i probably would have missed that too!! After all i missed it in the printed sheet that comes with the running number!!
  • There's a huge difference between enforcing rules strictly for people who are at the top end competing for prizes and those that are running for their own enjoyment or own personal goals.

    These rules are created to ensure a fair playing field for the very elite. Running is relatively unique in that Joe public can run in the same event as the best in the world, so the same rules have to apply to both, but the enforcement can be different.

    As a sport I think we should try and be as inclusive as possible and for a lot of people music forms a large part of their running experience. A lot of the bannings are just petty marshalling and strong enforcement will discourage people from entering races, which can only be a bad thing.

  • Am taking Little Ninja's advice & escaping while i can!!

    Didn't realise what a can of worms i would have opened!!  Anyway i wont be running a race with an ipod in again not making the same mistake twice

    Thanks for all the replies & comments

  • what the fuck is it with the PC Police and "inclusiveness" shite???

    "These rules are created to ensure a fair playing field for the very elite"

    the no ipod rule is there on H&S grounds - yeh another pile of shite for many issues as well - but most races won't get a race licence without H&S rearing it's head. it's there to ensure that marshalls instructions are HEARD not ignored. it's nothing to do with "fair play" but simply your safety.

    well done Brentwood

  • David Hellard wrote (see)

    There's a huge difference between enforcing rules strictly for people who are at the top end competing for prizes and those that are running for their own enjoyment or own personal goals.

    No difference at all.

    In exactly the same way that Lewis Hamilton can't drive down my street at 100mph in a Ford Fiesta.

    It's either a rule or it isn't. Whether a rule is enforced or not does not stop it BEING a rule. It's a rule for all and you suggesting that rules should be enforced differently for different levels of ability is about the stupidest thing I've heard all day.

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