Ban headphones?
Good luck enforcing that rule.
Although Rule#144.3b of USA Track & Field prohibits the use of headphones and other electronic devices while racing, most runners are unaware of the rule, or simply ignore it.
Headphones are a safety hazard. They prevent runners from hearing cars, buses, muggers, and even warning calls. Still, many runners consider their use a personal freedom and will treat a headphone ban as an unwarranted intrusion on their behavior.
Few overall or age group competitors use these devices, though, and they are the runners the USATF rule was probably intended to cover.
So, don't ban headphones unless you are prepared to evict runners from your race for using them. There are more important race management battles to be waged.
Posted in Course issues