Macenstein

This may come as a shock to some of you, but I am not a competitive runner. I’m more of a rhythmic gymnast. So it was news to me to find that a Wisconsin marathon runner was disqualified for listening to her iPod while competing in the Lakefront Marathon last weekend. Apparently by turning on her iPod, 27 year-old Jennifer Goebel violated a USA Track and Field rule which bans electronic devices of any kind during races.

Above: A woman I THINK is Jennifer Goebel.

While listening to music can get you pumped up during exercise, I thought this was a little odd, as if you look at the over 400 photos from the race, you will notice that virtually everyone in the race has an iPod (or to be fair, possibly a Zune with iPod earbuds). But as it turns out, the “no iPod rule” was repealed in 2008, and the ban on iPods now applies only to really good runners who have a chance at actually winning prizes from racing. Jennifer was a little put off by the decision, but has agreed to pay back her $500 prize.

“If they’re going to disqualify me for having an iPod they should disqualify everyone who had one,” she said. “I wasn’t listening to it earlier in the race. I wasn’t going to put the music on unless I thought I needed it. If you’re bored, it pumps you up a little bit. Sometimes, on a long training run, I’ll bring it along for the last half hour. When I run marathons sometimes I carry it and never put it on. It’s just a little ridiculous. I went there to have a fun race with my friends.”

Well Jenifer, it doesn’t sound like this race is for people looking to have fun. In fact, Jennifer didn’t actually win the race. She was beaten by Cassie Peller, a 23-year-old student. However the racing Nazis officials disqualified her for taking steroids accepting a bottle of water from a friend outside of the designated watering stations, thus making Goebel the winner. So it looks like now the crown of winner and the cursed $500 check will be passed down to Corina Canitz, a 42-year-old mother of four who won the race the last 2 years running (pun intended). And if she tests positive for steroids, I can only assume I am next in line, although I pretty much always have my iPhone on me, so odds are I will have to pass the trophy on as well.

By the way, Miss Goebel has an open invite to appear as our Mac Chick of the Month.

[via JS Online]