Should Kids Run Marathons?

In 2016, Charlie Westrip set the 6-year-old male record with his half marathon time of 2:06:51. In 2014, Heather Welsch set the 11-year-old female half marathon record with a time of 1:31:23.

These outlier feats of speed and endurance are impressive, unusual, and extreme. We do not want to dissuade children from running far and fast if that brings them joy. But we do want to emphasize the importance of moderation and personal enjoyment in the activity.

Moderation

Many children love to climb trees. Climbing trees is not a dangerous activity in and of itself, but it has the potential to be harmful if children climb high beyond the bounds of common sense.

The same is true for children running great distances. If a child loves to run that is wonderful! However, miles accrued must be sensible as they can affect growing bodies.

Running marathons at 6 will not necessarily prepare a child to compete in an Olympic Marathon at 20. In most cases, Fitness Finders® recommends accruing marathon distances over multiple running sessions, thereby achieving the accomplishment without the same physical toll.

Greg Meyer, a sub-four-minute miler who went on to win the Detroit, Boston, and Chicago Marathons in the 1980’s, says “Success does not have to be some big success that takes weeks to accomplish, but little successes every day; those that will give children a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and confidence.”

Personal Enjoyment

Douglas Finley, Editor, for the Center for Children’s Running, wrote, “Success will be different for each child. For some, it will be simply finishing a run. For others, it may be running farther or faster than last time or mastering some new skill like passing off a relay baton. For yet others, it is as simple as being recognized for their effort, for showing great determination, for just doing their best. If the child sets too lofty a goal, it is the responsibility of the parent/coach to suggest taking little steps to reach that goal, each step offering the child an opportunity to experience a level of personal accomplishment.”

Running should facilitate a love of physical activity in children, a love of movement. By encouraging youth to run for enjoyment and health, you set the stage for their life-long approach to exercise. And by setting attainable, individual, and appropriate goals, you can enable each young runner to shine.

So, should kids run marathons? Some will. Set attainable, sensible goals that all your students can work for and celebrate. Create those everyday successes that build accomplishment, satisfaction, and confidence.

How Far is too Far? — Appropriate Running Distances for Children (Part One)

We could spend hours talking about the benefits of running. Running has been linked to academic, social, and physiological improvements. All these things are great for kids. But as with anything, running can get out balance, and finding balance is key. So how far is too far?

Motivation

Motivation is foundational to this discussion on distance. Before we can consider how much children should run, we must address why they are running in the first place.

“It is important to let the children choose to run, and leave it up to them how competitive they want to make it,” said Debbie Drake, who has been working with the Mileage Club® for 25 years.

As well-intentioned as encouraging parents and teachers may be, children must have a personal desire to take part in the activity. Forced participation and parental pressure are unhealthy and unsustainable motivations.

But if the desire is there, parents and teachers certainly can foster and help build that interest. Schools can facilitate opportunities by providing a program like Mileage Club®, and sustained motivation through incentives like Toe Tokens®.

Running Frequency and Competition

Drake said there are a lot of program variations, but she recommends three times a week, at least 15 minutes, and a season of at least six weeks.

Drake said some kids run for the social aspects, but others are eager to compete. Ultimately, it is important to leave it up to student to decide if they want to pursue competition.

Some schools track individually, some by class, and others form teams that compete against each other for the most yearly mileage.

Drake said an important balancing factor is to encourage students to define and pursue individual goals. Common race distances such as 5k, 10k, and marathon are great totals for students to strive for over the course of a Mileage Club® season.

Road Race Distances

School programs like Mileage Club® are often a gateway that peak children’s interest in running. Should they want to pursue competition beyond school programs, they may enter the world of road races. Races can range from a quarter mile to 100+ miles, so it can be difficult to determine what is appropriate for beginners.

Peter Finley, Douglas Finley, and Jeffrey Fountain provide insight into this matter in their study “Road Racing and Youth Running: Cross Country Coaches’ Perspectives

.” Their study focused on appropriate distances, as determined by 132 cross country coaches from around the country.

· For lower elementary (K to 2nd grade), over 77% of the coaches said that one mile or shorter is appropriate.

· For upper elementary (3rd to 5th Grade), over 95% of the coaches said 1 mile to 5k was appropriate.

Drake emphasized it is important to make running enjoyable, especially for younger children. “I also encourage one fun race per season,” said Drake. “It is good to do something outside of schools/programs, but certainly not every weekend.”



By keeping the above suggestions in mind, we can feel good about supporting and encouraging the athletic endeavors of the children in our lives. Thank you for helping us Shape America’s Future®.