Question about young runners wrote:
I have a friend and their son is 13 years old and will be 14 when the half marathon rolls around. He wants to train and run the half marathon. He doesn't have a lot of experience as a runner yet but I wanted to know if there are any concerns for someone his age running the half marathon. Is he too young? Any serious thoughts and opinions or even any studies on this?
Which 1/2 marathon are we talking about? No this 14 yo is not too young to run the half....the half mile, that is. Abso-bloody-lutely ridiculuous. It never ceases to amaze me how newbies to running nowadays stampede straight to the marathons; from zero to 26 (or in this case 13). In the old days you graduated (as in gradual) to the longer distances as your speed began to dissipate (sp). Before big $$$ in elite marathons, MOST marathoners were in their thirties. A prime example is Rod Dixon of moving up through the distances (altho I feel he didn't give the 10,000 on the track a real shot, but I digress). Christ Almighty, what is this 14 yo going to be racing in his thirties...the 50 mile? And all of you who have posted here "well I ran 1/2 marathon at 14" what GOOD did it do you, in the short, or long run? (Excuse the pun). I am in staggered disbelief that I am the only one posting here who is VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED to this. What the hell is wrong with you people??? And those who say, just run it...hello, this is a RACE; don't toe the line if you don't intend to race. JEEZ. Another thing - roadracing is something you do AFTER college. Can't this kid find enough X-C and track events at the school level??
At the risk of repeating myself; what the hell is wrong with you people giving this kid the green light on this thing....un-fricking-believable.