It's time for me to wave the white flag of surrender on this one.

On several occasions over the past two years I've ranted about how runners should not be allowed to use headphones in races. They present a safety problem for their users and other runners, especially in races with large fields. They also block out the great sounds of a race - the bands, the breathing of your fellow competitors and the drum beat of their footsteps as they close on you over the last few hundred yards. All the stuff that makes up the racing experience.

USA Track & Field, which had theoretically banned the use of headphones in races since late 2006, announced Monday that it has reversed its position and will allow race directors to let runners use them. The ban only remains in effect for championship races such as the U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The old rule was rarely enforced. At October's Greater Hartford Marathon, runners had been told they could not wear headphones but that did not stop hundreds from wearing them with no repercussions, even with 3,000 runners jammed into a tight starting area.

At a 10-miler in Rhode Island last winter, a sign at the check-in reminded runners that USATF prohibits the use of headphones. Many still wore them and nothing happened to them.

The rule, in its short life span, was much like the law banning cell-phone use while driving. Many people think it just doesn't apply to them.

That put race directors in a difficult position. Did they want to anger a large group of runners by telling them to take the headphones off or be disqualified, especially since it's the runners who pay the entry fees that keep their races in business and raise money for charities? And many of those who wear headphones are younger runners who may support their races for decades to come. USATF said they heard passionate comments from both sides and decided they could not enforce the rule.

I think it's more of not wanting to enforce it. All you would have to do is assign a few people to write down the numbers of runners wearing headphones and then post the big “DQ” next to their names on the results list. That would get the message across.

In announcing the reversal, USATF issued a statement that sounded like it came from a Washington politician running for reelection.

”The difficulty in enforcement was part of the reasoning,” USATF Rules Committee chair John Blackburn said. “However, several good-sized races have demonstrated that they were able to enforce the rule. There were strong opinions on all sides of this discussion, both understanding the issues related to athlete safety, race organization, difficulty of enforcement. This resolution appeared to be the best position for USATF overall.”

So that's it. No more from me on the issue. If you want to wear headphones and get hit by a car, that's fine. Just have some courtesy and don't cut off the rest of us in races.

On the schedule

n The granddaddy of New Year's Day swims begins at noon on Jan 1. at the Mystic home of 1957 Boston Marathon winner John Kelley. The crowd of several hundred runners jog together for 5 miles to Groton Long Point where they jump in the water. The true diehards then run back to Kelley's house on Pequot Avenue. The event has been taking place for more than 30 years.

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