Ive heard they are doing this in America.

Do you think they will do this Britain soon?

I hope they dont because I find it very hard to run without music.

Does anyone have trouble running without music, or do people prefer not listening to music?

I sometimes get verbal abuse from passing cars, so always a training must.

Always listen to one when training, but then that's on quiet routes. Never in a race, firstly because I want to soak up the atmosphere, but secondly I can see it could cause problems if you are less aware of those around you, eg when moving to the side to pass someone.

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Don

I wore mine on a couple of races, and to be honest it was a big help.

The really big races have crowds cheering, bands plaing etc, but smaller ones, especially if you don't know many of the other runners, involve a LOT of just running along trying to stay focussed. I often get bored with this and find I tire quicker, just through trying to keep my mind entertained on a long quiet stretch.

As far as being aware of your surroundings, I agree with the sentiment but even with music turned up loud it's hard for a puffing, thudding, noisy runner to "creep up" on you; let alone a car!

So, yeah, I hope they don't ban them

It's already in place in many (if not all) races in the UK... well I say that, if you read all the race regulations etc you'll find they're against race rules, but unless you're running towards the front of the field you'd be unlikely to be punished for it!

I'll use my iPod Nano on many of the runs I do on my own, never if I'm running with others or racing though.

Interesting to hear about you recieving verbal abuse while training though. I was out on a club run yesterday morning and a van came past with people screaming out the window at us... not entirely sure what they were trying to achieve - idiots!

I don't use one in races, sometimes when out on training runs I can be a bit hit and miss with it, depends on my mood whether I fancy listening to it.

I am lucky that I don't get abuse whilst running I mostly have deranged dog walkers letting their dogs get under my feet aaaarrrrgggghhhh

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots

I'm one of those annoying types who likes to try and talk to people at events on the way around, so I look like a bit odd when I realise the person I've been talking to has had their headphones in the whole time, ha! I don't think it should be banned, though. You can listen to music and still run vigilantly, and it does help to keep to a rhythm sometimes.

And twinkle toes: do you ever encounter old ladies with those extending dog leads? Like a thin and almost invisible cord of upto 4 metres long just waiting to entangle itself around your legs? lol :-)

Yeah its not a major deal, happens mainley in the summer. Due to being overweight.

In the winter no one can see me so hardly any problems, but its better just to run and phaze people out, I just like being in my own world.

In the Lisbon marathon they have a half-marathon as well, which starts 1h15m into the marathon.
This means that for most runners (those running slower than 1h15m at half-way) there is a HUGE crowd of people to pass.
It was difficult enough to waste precious oxygen calling out to runners in front to make some space but the problem was when some runners were running with mp3 players/i-pods and didn't even hear.

I wouldn't ban them from races but would make sure that people who use them (especially those who are not used to being in races with a few thousand runners) are aware of the fact that there may be runners coming from behind.

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“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

I'd never even considered that Fulmar! though believe it or not I'm a very quiet person in 'real life', so much so that I'd be very unlikely to shout at people to move out my way in a race!

I tend to start in about the right position as well so I don't let too many people come past me (not that I race with an mp3 player)...

The little buggers hide in the hedges waiting for me I am sure, ha ha

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots

Separate races for people with MP3's and/or fancy dress!

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GONE RUNNING

lol, perhaps a little extreme! Though I really do wish they'd operate a proper starting pen system for most races - I've yet to come across a race without eager fun runners that have got to the start nice and early only to block the majority of the field from passing in the first mile or so. Grrrrrr!!!

This is the same issue I have we people with mp3 players on, if your trying to get round people on a tight course they can't hear you coming up behind them. Also, its important for runners to be take instructions from marshalls on the way round.

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I got stuck behind a lucozade bottle once, wouldn't have been so bad if I could have passed her but she had an entourage ensuring she didn't trip up, rightly so to. I take my hat off to those who do run in fancy dress it can't be easy.

This year I helped Bart Simpson tie his shoe laces as he couldn't see them, had enormous gloves on and to top it all he said his head was taped on, so I think he was grateful for my help

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots

When I started reading this message I really thought that we had lost TT for good

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“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”