I am planning on running the half marathon without my ipod, but I train with it pretty regularly now, so should I stop using it and train without, or will i be okay come race day if i continue to train with it?

I don't know what the official word is from the race on this, but I am an avid iPod user. I have gotten used to them.

I have recently run in a few races where they are banned. Out of respect to the race director, who I know well, I have decided to follow the rules and actually am getting used to it as a different way to run a race.

I find that after all that iPod Training, the music is in my head when I need it anyway.
Also, my friend sent me the following link from ESPN, where a very good writer dealt with this very subject. Worth checking out:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/071121 [sports.espn.go.com]

They say that personal music devices such as I-Pods, and MP3 players are "discouraged" which tells me that music is not illegal. Just that they'd rather you didn't listen to it.

Thank you, MarcRunsAlot, for the link to he article on iPods, and why they're not a good idea on race day. I have been questioning and really trying to understand the "why" behind the recommentation (or rule) to ban iPods from races, and found the article to be very helpful.

For the DSM Marathon race, there will be live music throughout the route, so those with a desire for some musical distraction and motivation will get just that! 8)

I recently heard a story of a woman in the New Orleans Marathon that wore her iPod, apparently had the volume up too loud, was running on a dirt rail line beside the paved course, and nearly got run over by a trolley car because she couldn't hear the bell! Another marathoner grabbed her and pulled her to the paved course.
Moral of the story....if you wear your iPod during a race, you may want to have the volume low enough that you can still hear your surroundings! And....don't run on the trolley rail line (not a big issue in the DM Marathon route)!

Wow! I wonder why that didn't make the news?

What about those Nikes with iPods in them? Are they legal?

That's a good question! I use the Nike+iPod to track my progress. Anyone know this answer?