Press Release - Road Runners Club Of America - 2/8/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     Universal NO HEADPHONES ICON Unveiled FOR EVENT DIRECTOR USE

Arlington, VA - As race directors struggle with the RRCA guideline against 
the use of headphones in RRCA insured events along with the USATF ban on 
headphones at sanctioned events, the RRCA is encouraging race directors to 
adopt the new universal NO HEADPHONES symbol on race entry forms and race 
materials.  Created by veteran race director, Jim Gerweck, the goal of this 
universal symbol is to send the message that event directors are serious 
about the headphone ban at the events they manage.

"Race officials don't ban headphones to be mean to runners — it's for their 
own safety and that of everyone else in the race," says Gerweck, a member 
of the USATF Long Distance Running sub-committee studying enforcement of 
the ban. "It's an education effort more than an enforcement issue, as 
events such as Grandma’s and Twin Cities Marathons have successfully 
proven. This logo is a simple way to send runners the message that 
headphones aren't permitted in sanctioned events."

The RRCA has promoted a guideline against the use of headphones in running 
events that dates back to the mid-1980's and this guideline has been 
re-affirmed several times by the RRCA membership since then.

"Banning headphones or advising participants to leave them at home or in 
the car is part of the risk management responsibility of a race director.  
Many participants do not understand or respect the awesome responsibility a 
race director shoulders to ensure the safety of every single participant in 
an event," explains Jean Knaack, RRCA executive director.  "Respecting an 
event director's choice to ban headphones is the shared responsibility of 
every participant to ensure the safety of all runners and the future 
success of the event and the sport as a whole."

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