November 6, 2006
Marathon runners use cell phones and other devices
At the New York City Marathon last Sunday (yesterday), many of the 37,000 participants were wired and, in some cases, wireless.
The NY Times gives a glimpse of the mulitple electronic gadgets used by marathoners, who not long ago shunned such devices as a distraction or somehow impure.
"Some runners whip out cellphones to call friends and relatives for encouragement— often to the dismay of those within earshot.
“If you’re using your cellphone, are you really trying your hardest?” asked Peter Cleary, a Seattle marathon runner who has finished more than a dozen. It “takes away from the old-fashioned competitiveness of running an endurance event,” he said.
Ms. Hadfield recalled one serial dialer who kept calling “Aunt Betty and everyone else” after each mile. “It dilutes the whole experience,” she said. “Save those stories for when you cross the finish line.”
About one out of five runners carry a phone, up from about 1 in 10 in 2003, according to a recent online survey of 2,732 runners conducted by Runner’s World."
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