quote:<HR>Originally posted by capc777:
. So it seems like whoever is enforcing these ipod rules is saying that in order to run a road race, you must be audibly aware of your surroundings. <HR>
No, you and many of the headset users are discussing that part of the issue that you observe and think is pertinent.
I know it bothers the **** of the runners and supporting pundits but you all have no say whatsoever at the level where these decisions will be made.
The races are saying that the USATF and the insurance companies deem use of the devices to be not in the best interest of safety. They are not getting into any type of "fairness" on one kind of hazard vs another. The runners are getting into that, like it matters.
Only the runners are bringing up the mention of deaf runners. The number "really" deaf runners (as opposed to those zoned out listening to music regardless of the volume setting)
is statistically almost non-existent. As a risk that effects insurance company profits it's a non-starter.
This is not a right of the runners and not a government thing where the insurance companies can be forced to participate in a loosing line of coverage.
As it is, 99% of the insurance industry does not and has not written coverage for road races, even without consideration of the headset thing. It is not a good risk from the start. People running on roads were cars can go, are you kidding. Just think about how unsafe that sounds on the surface.
It is true that some races have completely closed courses. However, many closed courses are only closed from the outside because it is almost impossible to seal people into their inside of the course neighborhoods unless the race has an astronomical budget for police details, which most races do not.
It is remote possible that this rebelliousness just wind up screwing the pooch as they say. Force the event liability to go away because the last and only source goes away and most probably the D & O insurance will go away too.
For those that don't know what that is, it is Directors and Officers coverage which protects the people who manage running clubs and event clubs for the normal organizational insurances that the non-profit groups need.
Currently that insurance is a few hundred bucks a year through the RRCA ( A national running group made up of member clubs). Back 4 or 5 years ago when a bunch of idiots were in control of the RRCA many running clubs rebelled against a move to double the dues to member clubs so many clubs formed a rival AARC and obtained insurance from the same carrier as the RRCA. The bums at the RRCA were tossed out so the AARC and RRCA merged.
However, during the time before the AARC could be formed many clubs, including mine tried to find and buy D & O insurance. If you could find it, the price for just D & O was larger than once, twice or 3 times the entire dues base of clubs, and that didn't provide any insurance what so ever for staging events.
So keep running with the headsets or supporting those who run with headsets and we could be looking at massive entry fees but most likely RDs and volunteer group will just say "screw it". It isn't worth it.
Think I'm kidding, why go find out how much the one (1) race insurance component is per runner is in triathlons right now.
After reading your comments I understand how this could be taken differently. I'll make sure it is removed from the documentation we supply with chip distribution.