Gizmodo: marathon

"Performance Enhancing iPod" Gets Marathon Winner Disqualified

Danny Allen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:30:00 EDT

I can't run a mile without being hyped up by music, so I'm glad I'm not a marathon runner. After being declared the winner of Milwaukee's 26.2-mile Lakefront marathon, Jennifer Goebel was stripped of the title because she…used an iPod.

It sounds pretty lame, but apparently USA Track and Field rules state that elite runners competing for USATF championships or cash prizes aren't allowed to use electronic devices. Everyone else is free to.

Adding to the whole mess, Goebel was only made the winner after the fastest woman was earlier disqualified for accepting a water bottle from a friend, instead of just official water stations. On a forum debating the water incident, a photo of Goebel using the iPod turned up, and then the shit hit the fan. Again.

"If they're going to disqualify me for having an iPod they should disqualify everyone who had one. It's just a little ridiculous. I went there to have a fun race with my friends. If you're bored, it pumps you up a little bit."

I hear ya, but rules are rules, I guess. [JSOnline via The Sporting Blog]

Marathons Start Banning Music Players For 'Safety', 'Fairness'

Jason Chen — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:40:52 EDT

Although it'll be about a year before we mold our bodies into any kind of humanoid-esque form capable of running a marathon, but the news that said races are banning headphones isn't inspiring us to train. Apparently USA Track & Field, the group in charge, thinks iPods and other music devices makes running too dangerous and possibly prevents people from having a "competitive edge".

The runners themselves are divided. Some old folks say running with music ruins the experience, and some other folks say that if they're banning folks because they can't hear they should ban deaf people as well. Us? If it's like whiteboard marker huffing—which totally gives you an extra six miles, btw—and doesn't hurt anyone, it should be allowed. [NYTimes]

A Geek's Guide to Marathon Training

Travis Hudson — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:45:51 EDT

Marathon season is in session—the Boston Marathon recently finished up with many more to come, and for those aspiring marathoners there are a lot of gadgets out there that won't make your run less painful, but definitely make it more interesting. John Biggs of CrunchGear fame is running the 26 mile San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (which is ironic because Biggs is the opposite of rock 'n' roll) this summer and finally unveiled to the masses what gadgets and toys he is using to train for this event. The usual includes an iPod with the Nike+ kit, but the unusual is a unique Casio watch and a GPS tracking unit. Hit the link to see all of his goods and be sure to cheer him on this June if you are in the San Diego area. –Travis Hudson

Marathon Training for Nerds [CrunchGear]

P.S. Biggs, your iPod looks disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself.

FRWD GPS Watch and Tracker for Runners

Jason Chen — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:26:52 EST

Useful for runners, bikers, skiiers, and people who do any activity that involves moving from point A to point B, this FRWD sports computer tracks your progress for later viewing on a PC. The FRWD Recorder Unit contains the GPS, which tracks all the relevant stats like distance and speed and displays it on the FRWD Wrist Display.

The whole package comes with a heart rate transmitter belt, battery charger and goes for $515. Adam of Lifehacker says, "When i was training for my marathon, I would have killed for a GPS watch to track how well I was doing." – Jason Chen

FRWD sports computer with GPS [Navigadget via uber gizmo]