Pre-Pubescent running (Read 1120 times)

I was hoping someone in the know could comment on children running long distances when either pre-pubescent or having just started puberty.  My son is 12 yrs. old and has started running with me.  So far, most of our runs are around 2 or 3 mi., but someone told me the other day that it could be bad for kids that age.  I've heard the same thing about weight-lifting, which is why I won't let him lift weights until he's at least fifteen or sixteen, but had never heard the one about running.......

 

Thanks!

 

GST

Have you been talking to my mother-n-law?  Seriously... 2 or 3 miles bad for kids?

if they want to run, let them run. Thing is, not too many kids want to run distance. To many, it's boring (implying it's hard work).

My 2 cents and opinion are it is perfectly fine.  I have read certain doctors opinions that it could be harmful to kids if they run to much.  They also quote the injury statistics of high school sports versus 20 years ago.  They state that there are more kids getting hurt today than there were in the 70's especially girls who run cross country.  There fore it is dangerous and no kids should be allowed to run long distance.

I am paraphrasing and not quoting because it is Friday at 5:00 and I do not feel like spending any time on Google looking for the exact paper and pulling out the quotes, but it is out there for anyone else who wants to go look for it and read it.

Again, my two cents, running in itself is not dangerous.  Running promotes a healthy lifestyle and is good for kids of all ages.  Where I do agree with the paper is when you get over exuberant parents who force their children to run and have them do training the same way an elite athlete of adult age would train.  The problem is how do you allow some kids to participate in the sport of long distance running (over 13.1 miles) and not allow others?  You can't try to figure out which kids are training just enough, to much, or just love to run and want to run farther and farther so the solution is to not allow any of them to run long distance.

The OP seemed to mention 2 - 3 miles which I feel would not hurt anyone.  I am more talking about running longer distances.

I was hoping someone in the know could comment on children running long distances when either pre-pubescent or having just started puberty.  My son is 12 yrs. old and has started running with me.  So far, most of our runs are around 2 or 3 mi., but someone told me the other day that it could be bad for kids that age.  I've heard the same thing about weight-lifting, which is why I won't let him lift weights until he's at least fifteen or sixteen, but had never heard the one about running.......

 

Thanks!

 

GST

My buddy's kid is 10 maybe 11 now.  He's been running for a few years.  Last year he was sub 20 in the 5k and sub 70 in 10 mile.  This year he's sub 19 5k and sub 68 for 10 mile.  There are faster kids around his age in the area, at least in the 5k.   These days he probably does 25 miles per week and we have to reign him in at times.  Last month we paced our wives in a HM @ 8mpm pace.  The ran too, for his longest run ever, and he barely broke a sweat... He's tiny...

i have 11yo twin girls. they run, they love it. i don't push them or make it too serious but they proabably run 15-20km a week mostly 3-5km at a time though they can run 10km easily and have even done 1x 13km race

Better than slothing in front of tv or playstation and there are too many coddlers about with pathetic parents syndrome that just need to get a life and throw away some cotton wool.

Here they are 1st and 3rd in their school cross country at the half way point. It wasn't this close at the finish line!