Child Runner

[Pullman]

I have a grandaughter who will be six at Christmas. She has taken up running along with her mum and dad. She did 50 miles during October running every day and has carried on this month every day, she loves it but I wonder if it is too much for her little joints at this age. Am I just being too cautious?

[dannyk13]

Seems a lot of stress on the joints of a six year old.

[Tilly2]

That works out as 1.6 miles per day. That seems a lot for a five year old. Do Mum and Dad belong to a running club?

[LadyCG]

Put it this way, in later life her Orthopaedic Surgeon will have his work cut out.

[TheChair]

That's around 1.6 miles a day. Probably above average, but equally probably less than kid of 50 years ago would have run in the course of play and travel to and from school. Good for her. Hopefully she won't end up like so many of mollycoddled fat slobs that seem to populate modern schools.

[Tilly2]

I used to walk there and back when at junior school and probably walked about three miles a day.

I walked, I didn't run.

[dannyk13]

If she is running on a hard surface (eg a road) then there will be stress on her leg bones.

[Peter Pedant]

I would allow her to do what she wants

she certainly isnt in the age where she can train thro pain and damage herself = she think she is doing too much she will stop

there is virtually no data on this and it is probably safe
( alk phos may be raised but we couldbbnt work out if alk phos was raised in children anyway)

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=sports-injury-statistics-90-P02787

[sports injuries in children are mainly head injuries after contact]

there was a thirteen year old turning in decent times for half marathons and marathons - and the commentator said "the main problem actually is that she will become bored with the amount of time it takes up training..."

[dannyk13]

PP there is a vast difference between a 5 year old and a thirteen year old.

[Pullman]

Tilly2, no they don't belong to a running club but have great self discipline, my daughter has run EVERY day for 16 months clocking up well over a 1000 miles and she has 5 children and works full time.!! I have great admiration for her. X

[hellywelly4]

Pullman - a cautionary tale - my daughter was like yours. She recently had to have a knee replacement at 45 and my other daughter is heading the same way.