This is rough:
In what may be the first enforcement of a controversial ban on music devices by elite runners in long distance races in the U.S.,a 27-year-old woman was disqualified from the top spot in the Lakefront Marathon in Milwaukee because race officials spotted her using an iPod during a later portion of the race.
The article doesn’t mention until later that the “ban” has been relaxed, leaving a certain degree of flexibility for race organizers.
I run with an iPod. I can run without one–I’ve done as many as 32 miles without one–but to be honest, it’s boring. However, on an open course with busy streets, or in very large crowds, I can see why race organizers might not want runners listening to music at full blast, unaware of what’s going on around them. I know that I, like other runners, keep the volume quite low for this very reason (plus I don’t even listen to music when I run, I listen to news and podcasts, but that’s another issue), but there’s no way to be sure that’s the case for everybody. So it’s up to the organizers. And if the rules Jennifer Goebel agreed to said no headphones, then she has to abide by that, especially if she wants to compete for the top spot.
As for the other, faster woman who “was disqualified for receiving a water bottle from a friend outside an official water station”… well, if it’s against the rules, it’s against the rules.
That’s crazy but like you said if its against the rules its against the rules. I can see where they are coming from but it would suck if they took a win away from me. Just shows that you gotta pay strict attention to what they say you can / cannot do.