Half-marathon and 13 year old--contraindicated?

[JustMe]

Ds is very athletic and has great stamina. As I've posted, he recently stopped doing club soccer after 2 years and is very into track. He did track for the second year with his public middle school and recently started running with a club here. He saw an advertisement that there is going to be a marathon here in the fall and wanted to do it. I told him maybe the half-marathon and looked into it for him. We have a small local training group and I contacted them. He is training with them. The leader of the group told me that its unusual for a kid that age to run that long and it may not be a good idea. He didnt go into details, but told me to check with ds' coach and pediatrician. I am not really getting much of an answer from the coach. The pediatrician gave a mixed answer --

There is not a ton of research on this. Historically orthopedists recommend holding off on significant long distance runs until the growth plates are closed (ie completely thru puberty, haven’t grown taller in several months) ~ but clearly the Kenyans and Somalians are running earlier than that and they seem to do fine. I think if he can slowly build up to 10-11 miles without injury and is excited about it, sometime between 13-15 is a fine age to participate in a half marathon.


So what does the BBB wisdom say. Ds is determined that he can and will do this. I have no issues telling him no if that is what is best, but would rather do it sooner rather than later. He is currently running 6 miles so a little less than half.

[KpbS]

I have known only a couple of kids who have run this distance for a race. Mostly they will run in the 5k portion instead. Is a 5k offered? I would do that without hesitation. I personally would skip the half/full.

[billysmommy]

The BAA (Boston Athletic Association) has 14 as the minimum age for their distance medley series (comprised of a set of races - 5k, 10k and half marathon). 18 is their minimum age for the marathon.
https://www.baa.org/races/baa-distan...ley/age-groups


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[JustMe]

Thanks for the replies! There is a 5K, but he did a 5K when he was much younger. In any case, it is helpful to see the Boston Athletic Association guidelines. I think I may make him wait another year; additionally, he is getting way to obsessed.

[sariana]

I’m no doctor, but I would think doing one half marathon at that age is different from doing them on a regular basis. He problem is that he may get more “obsessed” and want to do more. That is a judgment we can’t make.

[pinkmomagain]

My unathletic daughter trained for a halfmarathon when she was a freshman in HS (around 13-14). She did it fine.

[JustMe]

My unathletic daughter trained for a halfmarathon when she was a freshman in HS (around 13-14). She did it fine.

Hmmn, well he does have a whole other year of middle school before he even goes to high school...but he is 13.5; hard call. I believe he could do it, but so many are telling me it may not be a good idea.

[StantonHyde]

He will be fine. If he did it year round that’s another issue. Emphasize the need to cross train-swim, bike, hike etc

[firstbaby]

I’ve done a few half marathons and have noticed 1-2 kids around that age run each half, too. If my DC was showing a strong interest in trying, I would be open to saying yes with some caveats. I would make sure he was training with a good plan that doesn’t go for time or pile on the miles too quickly - gently ramping up the miles and not running long miles more than once a week. Not running more than 3-4 days a week. I would encourage cross training with biking or swimming. I would stay tuned in to how he was feeling after his runs and the next day and encourage him to verbalize how his body was feeling. I would also invest in great running shoes for him. If the training went well, then I would let him go for it. If I started feeling like he was nursing an injury or it was wearing him down, I would find out if he can downgrade his entry from the half to 5k.

The kids who have raced in the halfs I’ve done have gotten a ton of support from other runners and spectators along the course. I bet it would be a very memorable experience for him!

[jacksmomtobe]

Personally I think I would go the conservative route and have him wait until he is a bit older especially with boys whose bodies mature later. However if you do decide to let him do it then I would fall first baby's advice of making sure he is listening to his body and that he builds up the mileage very gradually. Make sure he is not running through pain in this situation. I would also suggest doing some training on softer surfaces as the pounding on sidewalks, roads is less forgiving to the body and is more likely lead to overuse injuries. Make sure he understands that if you allow him to train there is still the chance that you as a parent may decide that he needs to stop training and/or not run the half. Good Luck!