Forums >General Running>Children Running
Dream Maker
http://fatherandsonultrarunners.com/
I saw that this 9 year old is slotted to do a 100 mile at a race I'm attending. (I am most certainly not running 100 miles. What with the laziness and all. I'll be doing a shorter option.)
This made me wonder:
What are your thoughts on children running long distance?
What are your lines for your own children? What lines you feel are generally appropriate for children at what ages, if any?
#RunEveryDay
I am not a fan of kids running ultras. Growth plates aren't set until early to mid teens.
In my area, races (half marathon and longer) usually have a minimum age requirement. My fall goal race has a limit of 14 years old for the half and 16 years old for the full marathon. My kids won't be doing longer races until they are older. (My 7 year old likes to do 5Ks with me and I let her set the pace.)
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
Feeling the growl again
Sometimes kids will say things to make their parents happy and want to do things way outside what is reasonable because they just don't have the experience to know better. That is when it is the job of a parent to step in and educate them.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Labrat
9 year old doing a 5K ? Absolutely great
10K and half I'd be a little more cautious about.
Until the growth plates are set I think it is reasonable to limit them to HM.
This is all pretty arbitrary but the thought of a 9 year doing a 100 miler is a little scary. The legs are shorter, (so its like an adult doing > 100 miles) the body reserves somewhat less than an adult, and their Vo2 max hasn't matured.
Now a timed loop race would be a different matter, where you can enforce rest breaks there isn't quite the same pressure to press on, and support is always right there.
*My 3 year old will be doing her 2nd 1 hour timed loop race in April. Maybe next year if she still is showing interest we may bump her up to the 3 hour option and see how that goes.
5K 20:23 (Vdot 48.7) 9/9/17
10K 44:06 (Vdot 46.3) 3/11/17
HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17
FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18
I'm reticent to comment on other's parenting choices, but when it gets extreme I do worry if the child is trying to please the parent. I, of course, cannot judge this not knowing the situation.
But to answer my own opinion on my question:
For my own daughter:
My 6 year old is just doing her first 5K this year. She's been asking for a while. She's done several 1K to mile races, and last year a 1.2 mile race and a .8 mile obstacle race on the same day, and was asking to find another race that gave medals that day. I've made sure to tell her that I'm proud of her and happy whether or not she ever runs anything.
She did tell me she likes me to encourage her to keep running while we are running though I feel weird and pushy if anyone hears. (haha)
I agree timed races are great for kids - where stopping and going is allowed easily.
I'm not sure I'd support a marathon for *her* until she's a teenager, if she did still want to do one at that point. (She asks again and again to do one now, but she has no real concept of that distance.)
I have met an 11 year old marathoner who clearly wanted to be there and wasn't in any way pushed by the parents - if anything they held back the enthusiasm. Not the typical 11 year old, but I know running is not evidenced to be as traumatic as plenty of other sports (like cheerleading, football that people think nothing about.
A one hundred mile makes me more nervous for any child or young teen.
Tessa
I'm all for children being active and enjoying the outdoors. But nine years old seems far too young, small, and physically immature to do a 100 mile race. My DD did several trail half marathons in high school, however she was walking most of the way and she was considerably older than 9.
I could see taking a 9 year old on a multi day backpacking trip, maybe 3-5 days. But that would be about 8-10 miles a day if that, going slowly and with breaks.
I have raced with crowds of middle and high schoolers since LA has that Students Run LA program and trains thousands of kids to run the LA marathon. Most of them start out fast and fade in the middle of the race and wind up walking in, many discouraged. I can't see allowing a 9 year old to run four times that distance.
Surely the lad could get the benefit of trail running by meeting Dad at one aid station and running with him to the next one without having to cover the same distance Dad is doing? I wouldn't ask my 9 year old to pick up the same load an adult was carrying, I wouldn't ask a 9 year old to run the same road an adult was running.
runktrun
This is incredibly interesting/disconcerting, but so far there are very thoughtful replies. I'm 30, no kids, no current plans for kids, and I have been very active my entire life. I always relished a challenge and my parents were very good at keeping most of the focus on the personal enjoyment of the sport. I've found that when kids do not feel pressured to excel at sports, they self-regulate their activity very well. I remember playing soccer tournaments back in grade school, 3-4 games a day in the summer, and most of us gutting through all the games, but also knowing there was no shame in admitting you needed a break. Same thing when I started running for fun in high school. You got tired, you rested, you started up again and felt good about your accomplishment, albeit a bit tired. That said, I cannot imagine that a 9 year old is physically and mentally capable of running 100mi without some outside influence. And I would be concerned about long term damage - growth plates, hormones, etc - if he completed it. Small, juvenile humans do not have the glycogen and fat reserves to keep moving for that long. I know enough about metabolism (ATP, yeah!) to get uncomfortable thinking about a 9 year old body burning enough fuel to keep moving. I just hope the family has a good physician, a contingency plan and no expectations pushed on the child...
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
queen of headlamps
I'd say it i's a bad idea. Not only is the youngster not yet physically mature, but the training for such a race is intense, and takes away from the time a young person should spend developing a wide base of athletic skills. It'd be far better for his long-term athletic base and health to run a 5K, hike some, turn cartwheels, climb rocks, and so forth.
I don't doubt the kid genuinely wants to, as the parents seem non-pushy, but my toddler would love ice cream for dinner; not really seeing the relevance.
Hey, another running blog.
Village people
I have coached and watched a handful of kids who need to be told to sit down, take a drink of water or just to stop and rest their bodies. A parent or coach sometimes needs to be that voice of reason.
As far as this kid is concerned, I don't know. I let my kid play football so I shouldn't judge.
I have to admit, my kids are too lazy to get out and run long distances. My older daughter ran 1 mile races until she was about 11-12. After that, she would sometimes run 5k. But that was dependent on if there was any cute boys racing. Occasionally she will come out and run with me at a training pace, IF she knows I am only doing 5-7 miles.
My younger daughter is 9 and is lucky if she runs to the street corner. She asked, this year, if she could sign up for running club. Normally I would be very excited, but I just can't imagine her running a 5k without a huge drama queen scenario.
My wife is currently in training for her first 5k in May. My 64 year old Dad will also be running his first race since college. I am going to attempt to break my PR and our 14 year old will be running it, at my pace. If my 9 year old still wants to run the race, I will sign her up for the 1 miler, and see how she does.
After that, she would sometimes run 5k. But that was dependent on if there was any cute boys racing.
I'm basically the same.
I've fought this battle on the Marathon Maniacs facebook page a couple of times. There are several parents in Maniacs who have young kids who are running marathons and ultras and are earning Maniac "stars" for their efforts. I think it is a terrible idea.
I have a son who started running 5Ks at age 6, ran an occasional 10K a couple of years later, was a state record holder in the mile and 5K for his age by age 10 and continued to be very successful. He was a top high school runner and was a college recruit. His coaches did not permit him to even run half marathon. He did one as a high school junior (really age of a senior) in 1:13 without permission. He is now 28 and a top amateur triathlete.
I think it is very important to hold the distances down while the bones develop and growth plates are open. It infuriates me to see these 9-13 year olds running ultras and getting attention through Maniacs and local clubs. There is a reason most marathons have age restrictions. The risk of injury and burn out is huge.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
I've fought this battle on the Marathon Maniacs facebook page a couple of times. There are several parents in Maniacs who have young kids who are running marathons and ultras and are earning Maniac "stars" for their efforts. I think it is a terrible idea. I have a son who started running 5Ks at age 6, ran an occasional 10K a couple of years later, was a state record holder in the mile and 5K for his age by age 10 and continued to be very successful. He was a top high school runner and was a college recruit. His coaches did not permit him to even run half marathon. He did one as a high school junior (really age of a senior) in 1:13 without permission. He is now 28 and a top amateur triathlete. I think it is very important to hold the distances down while the bones develop and growth plates are open. It infuriates me to see these 9-13 year olds running ultras and getting attention through Maniacs and local clubs. There is a reason most marathons have age restrictions. The risk of injury and burn out is huge.
This can be said for all sports. I make my kids play different sports each season. Some clubs push year long training but I don't think that is a good idea. Overuse injuries and burn out.
How great for your son! And agreed on the distance issue. I didn't run a HM until after college running was over.
Old , Ugly and slow
I don't see the point and think it is a bad idea.
When I was 16 in 77 i did a 15 mile race. I had to get a doctor's permit because I was under 18
Both of my grown kids ran some 5k's with me when they around 11-13. Neither one runs now.
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes