Underage marathon runners

hot to trot

http://www.runnersworld.com/races/14-year-old-youngest-finish-marathon-antarctica

From my physio training days, the information regarding this was marathon running was not recommended for younger runners until growth plates were fused.

Just how young or old should marathon entrants be? Should there be a lower limit , as you often see? Or should they be welcome regardless?

The end of the article also references an 8 year old boy who was running with his dad in another extreme marathon event.:eek:

rom

Reminds me of this doc http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1674246/

hot to trot

rom wrote: »

Reminds me of this doc http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1674246/

Heard of him but didnt know there was a book. Thanks for that

ThePiedPiper

I can't say I agree with this, on a number of reasons. Everybody is different, but it doesn't sit right with anyone under 16 doing a marathon. We see here in Ireland the number of young lads that end up with recurring injuries from over-intensive GAA training at young ages.

The normal way with kids doing sport is the parents encouraging them, taking them to training, and whatever. What parent here would encourage their 8-year old to run a marathon? Children at this age by and large do what their parents tell them (sometimes!!). But, to allow or actively encourage a child under 12 to run a marathon is simply wrong. The back end of a marathon is tough business, and physchologically I just can't see that a minor should be putting themselves through the mental and physical side of this.

Personally, I don't think that a child under 12 years old should be running anything over 10k. Where does it end? I've heard some crazy stories of kids under 8 running marathons with their fathers or something in the 70s and 80s. I hope not to offend anyone here but I think this is negligent, bordering on cruelty.

Oryx

Athletics Ireland has the following age recommendations:

Athletes must be 18 years of age to compete in events of 10,000m and over.
The recommended age groups for juveniles are:
Up to U11 – 1 mile:
12 – 13 2k:
14-15 3k:
16 – 18 5k.

RayCun

Presumably for the same reason you shouldn't have kids lifting weights until they're past the phase of peak growth velocity

hot to trot

RayCun wrote: »

Presumably for the same reason you shouldn't have kids lifting weights until they're past the phase of peak growth velocity

When I was in Russia studying sports training for elite athletes in the 80's, I took photos of 4 and 5 year olds in the ice skating school doing weight training on gym machines. We were all shocked at the time.

RacoonQueen

Don't think it's an issue, especially at 4:49 pace(don't know what thr course is like though). We're built for endurance, our ancestors would have done more than that at a younger age dragging the carcass of a mammoth behind them. Remember watching something that had a 13 year old doing a 100 mile(or 50 mile) race.

Judging by that article she's fit enough for it anyway.

ecoli

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Don't think it's an issue, especially at 4:49 pace(don't know what thr course is like though). We're built for endurance, our ancestors would have done more than that at a younger age dragging the carcass of a mammoth behind them. Remember watching something that had a 13 year old doing a 100 mile(or 50 mile) race.

Judging by that article she's fit enough for it anyway.

And also lived about a 1/4 of the average life span that a person in western civilization live these days.

Having said that it would be interesting to see peoples opinions on which which is more damaging low intensity high volume or high intensity vigourous training. People always seem to think that the volume is the only factor to look at in terms of long term damage but you can do just as much damage doing high quality intervals from an early age

robinph

Covered the marathon distance for the first time myself age 11, and then did it again the following year. I think it was taking me around 6hrs'ish at the time. Was really a charity walk for the school kids though and there was a number of parents and teachers going along as well to stop people getting carried away, or lost seeing as it was through some relatively remote and flat exposed countryside.

RacoonQueen

ecoli wrote: »

And also lived about a 1/4 of the average life span that a person in western civilization live these days.

Ah now come on, I don't think it was the multi-day treks to gather food that killed people off young/was the sole contributer.

adavis58

I think you need to be 18 to run a marathon.
Art
http://fitatfifty-art.blogspot.com/

Pisco Sour

People missing the fact this marathon was done in Antarctica. That is stupidity regardless of age IMO.

Cabaal

Pisco Sour wrote: »

People missing the fact this marathon was done in Antarctica. That is stupidity regardless of age IMO.

Any more stupid then running a marathon in a hot desert?

Pisco Sour

Cabaal wrote: »

Any more stupid then running a marathon in a hot desert?

Pretty equal

Cabaal

Pisco Sour wrote: »

Pretty equal

one person's crazy is another person's norm

When I started running I thought people doing anything over a marathon were crazy bastards, did connemara ultra as my third ultra last weekend...guess that makes me a crazy bastard in my own eye's :pac:

Pisco Sour

Cabaal wrote: »

one person's crazy is another person's norm

When I started running I thought people doing anything over a marathon were crazy bastards, did connemara ultra as my third ultra last weekend...guess that makes me a crazy bastard in my own eye's :pac:

Each to what they enjoy. Running ultras in temperatures above 40 degrees is a bit insane IMO though. Likewise that chap doing a marathon in the Arctic Circle wearing only shorts, or the fella running it backwards. I never get that sort of stuff.

With regards the topic of thread, I don't agree children should be doing 10k's even, not to mention marathons!

Cabaal

Pisco Sour wrote: »

With regards the topic of thread, I don't agree children should be doing 10k's even, not to mention marathons!

Personally I'd have no issues with 5 or 10ks but due to strain on body I would be concerned about a kid doing a marathon.