USATF Levels Musical Advantage in Marathons
An article (subscription required) that appeared in the NY Times last week talks about USA Track and Field, the governing body behind most marathons held in the United States, banning the use of headphones and personal audio devices by its participants. Runners using personal audio devices during any USATF-sanctioned event will be disqualified if caught breaking the new rule. Competitive runners for the most part have embraced the mandate since they generally donâ??t listen to music while racing and therefore donâ??t have to face repercussions. Recreational runners on the other hand are suffering the majority of race disqualifications because they are more likely to try and circumvent the rule. While USA Track & Field cited safety and insurance issues as its primary reasons for action, the article in the Times noted that the rule was also created to prevent headphone-wearing runners from enjoying a competitive advantage.
Elite marathoners as a group generally donâ??t listen to music while running because they want to be closely tuned in to their bodies and the communication between the â??packâ? during a race. Picture this: a professional runner using an iPod in a marathon could easily miss his or her chief competitor sneaking up from behind to prepare an attack for the lead. Recreational runners make up a majority of the marathon field, are generally not concerned with actually winning the race, yet remain extremely interested in running well and achieving their personal performance goals. They also tend to listen to music more often while running, most likely for its performance-enhancing capabilities.
Practical example tells us that music aids exercise performance. Carmichael Training Systems, the athletic training company started by Lance Armstrong’s trainer, rolled out a series of music-intensive audio workout programs in 2006. Registered users can download the episodes straight to their personal audio players and participate with the training regimen in real-time while running or cycling. The music incorporated into the curriculum was specifically chosen by C.T.S. to help improve audience performance during exercise.
In addition, more and more research is appearing in support of the idea that music eases physical pain, focuses the mind, and distracts from the monotony of long-term repetitive activities. In short, music has the power to provide the emotional lift and encouragement necessary to break through competitive milestones. The excerpt below from the NYT article that spurred this blog entry is a real-life example of this point:
At the foot of the final stretch of the course, a windy, steep road that leads to the Marine Corps War Memorial, Kronfeld did not think he could take another step. Then he heard the first few notes of a song that saved him. â??Aretha Franklinâ??s â??Respectâ?? started playing,â? he said. â??In my head, I was singing, â??R-E-S-P-E-C-Tâ?? and suddenly I got that last nudge through the finish.â?
Itâ??s probably safe to assume that USATF is interested in growing the ranks of participants at its events. The pool of â??eliteâ? candidates is very small so a majority of new entries are likely to come from everyday recreational and semi-pro runners instead. This is the same group of people who tend to utilize music more often while training and competing. This begs the question to USATF: why alienate this all-important pool of new runners in the name of saving money on insurance and a somewhat clumsy assertion that headphone use causes more accidents at marathons? Instead, why not take a stand and support further research into the positive effects of music on physical performance? The groundwork is already in place and USATF has plenty to gain by shifting its position. At a minimum, softening their stance would improve their reputation among current marathon participants who already use music during events. USATF could also earn valuable recognition as a pioneer of music health and performance research, which in turn could drum up even more attention and excitement about competitive running overall.
