USATF and World Athletics, headphone and audio-device rules

Governing-body competition rules on audio devices. Under USATF Competition Rule 144.3 (amended at the 2008 Annual Meeting), the games committee of a long-distance running event may permit portable listening devices that cannot receive communication, but athletes competing in a championship for awards, medals or prize money may not use them — so the prohibition is effectively limited to those racing for prizes, not ordinary participants. World Athletics technical rules (Book C2.1, Technical Rule 6) likewise bar personal audio and communication devices from the competition area in elite competition. A rule fact, not an empirical claim. Strong.