Is it legal to use a heart rate monitor during a College or High School Cross Country race?
ceningolmo asked:
Also, is it legal to use something that might be considered a pacing device? I currently run using a Garmin 305 with heart rate monitor. I find that this device gives me a huge advantage when running with my friends. I seem to always know how fast or slow I should be going and exactly how much I have left in my tank. I’m curious whether college and/or High School runners are able to take advantage of this technology.
Also, is it legal to use something that might be considered a pacing device? I currently run using a Garmin 305 with heart rate monitor. I find that this device gives me a huge advantage when running with my friends. I seem to always know how fast or slow I should be going and exactly how much I have left in my tank. I’m curious whether college and/or High School runners are able to take advantage of this technology.
If it’s a watch, then it’s perfectly legal. I doubt that a pacing device would be allowed. You really shouldn’t need a heart rate monitor to run though.
I don’t know for sure but my guess would be that there is no problem with this. Heart rate monitors have not caught on in high schools yet but are mainstream in ultra-long distance events.
I know several people that use them and they are not a huge advantage from a rules standpoint. It is just more info to help you as a runner.
It depends on the sanctioning body, whether they allow watches or not. Because watches help the runner pace themself, the sanctioning body may consider them an illegal assist to the runner. In this scenario, the issue is not the heart rate monitor function, but the equipment it operates on.