Recently there's been some chatter about children completing long distance races. A 5 year old ran a half marathon in New Jersey last Sunday and a 14 year old recently broke the record for youngest to run a marathon on all seven continents. If the child enjoys running and has no physical disabilities that would put her in danger, then I say, "Have at it!" My 11 year old just ran her second 5k. She doesn't "enjoy" cross country/long distance running. She's a fantastic sprinter and has placed first in every relay race she's participated in. I hope one day she'll discover the joy in long distance running. I hope to run a marathon with each of my children in the future. I'm in no rush. I plan to still be able to run a marathon in fifteen years when my youngest will be almost eighteen. If my bones are still in tact, I will run as long as they allow. If not, I will pass the figurative baton off to my kids. In the meantime, the family that runs together, has fun together. Right?
photo courtesy of Runner's World
How do you feel about these mini-marathoners?
I've discovered that younger runners have difficulty with the idea of pacing rather than going all out until near collapse. In that way they are sort of like dogs. For those kids who understand the need to moderate their pace over long distances, I don't see the harm in running 5 or 6 miles. Much beyond that, the body requires some monitoring due to fact that glycogen runs out after 45 minutes and core temperature rises even on cold days.
ReplyDeleteAs long as kids know to fuel and hydrate correctly and are willing to stop if they become overheated or dizzy, I don't see any issue in running longer distances.