TIR Rules Against iPods

Our individual attitudes towards running with or without ipods varies. I, for one, almost always run with tunes channeled into my ears. Of course, for training it is a moot point whether we do or don't as long as we remain alert to what is going on around us. Race policies vary while the reasoning for ipod bans are also varied. Generally I hear from race directors that it is an insurance issue, though I've never bought fully into that since we almost always sign a waiver relieving the race sponsors of any liability. More certainly, the various overseers of our sports of running, cycling, swimming and triathlon come down consistently against the use of ipods, iphones, portable radios, etc. during races. Some contend that these give competitors unfair advantage, though I have failed to find that particular power song which will enable me to run a 2:30 marathon. Given the popularity of ipods and the recent innovation of Nike+iPod systems, many race directors simply look the other way. Such is not the case of the TIR. As we learned the first year when we were supposedly penalized for Denise's ipod infraction (I don't think that penalty was ever officially assessed), the TIR seems serious about using ipod police to enforce their rules. For your information, here is the official notice which was sent out to team captains. I would encourage all racers to become familiar with the ipod rules as well as the other rules of the race. Thank you.

Here are the rules of the event. Please convey them to your team. We've received clear and ample feedback suggesting that we handle the enforcement of the rule prohibiting running with Ipods differently. So, this year, we will be implementing a "3 strike" approach. There will be an Ipod SWAT team roving the course. When they see someone wearing headphones, they will stop the runner, confiscate the device (which will be reunited with its owner at the finish), and the Team Captain will be called to be informed of the violation. The consequences of the second infraction will be the same, except this time a 60-minute time penalty will be added to the team's final time. The "3rd strike" will result in the team's disqualification. Please make sure that your team is well aware of all the rules and how Ipods will be handled.