By Joe Wojtas    Published on 3/16/2008

Two weeks ago when I picked up my number before the start of the Quonset Point 10-miler in Rhode Island, I saw a sign that I had never seen before at a race. It was one that should be at every race, even your local fun run.

It told runners that USA Track and Field, the governing body for road racing in this country, has banned — among other things — the use of headphones in races. It's something that a growing number of events are finally doing for safety reasons.

So after seeing the sign, I figured the runners warming up with their iPods and MP3 players would put them in their cars before the race began. Wow, was I wrong. A large number of them were still wearing them as the race began. I guess they're the same sort of people who still talk on their cell phones while driving.