Another running question – given that I am about to start training for the marathon, I was thinking about combining it with going for some short training runs with my daughter as she has recently been selected to run for her school at county level in the cross country (and she is very excited about going out running with me).

Naturally I am a very conscious about causing lasting damage from to much high impact running at such a developmental stage of her life – is there any advice on the sorts of distances a child of that age should run?

Cheers

how far are the school races ?
try half of that to start

If she has been selected to run for your County she must have qualified already through the regional champs and is she not already in an UKA affiliated club? If so isnt she getting coaching already? County athletics is different than school competitions. What county are you in?

Mine did her first parkrun at 8. Although it wasn’t the full 5k non stop, we’d walk for a bit if she was “puffed out” and she’d chuck in a bit of skipping or a few cartwheels if she got bored.

Gretal said “As far as it takes to get out of the deep dark wood”

If she has been selected to run for your County she must have qualified already through the regional champs and is she not already in an UKA affiliated club?

Sorry, no – I haven’t explained myself correctly – it’s at a county level for an inter-schools competition. She placed in her regional race against other schools in our town so she, along with the 9 other placed runners now run against the top 10 runners from all other towns in the county (North Yorkshire). She isn’t part of any official running club. I clearly didn’t realise there was a distinction between school ‘county’ running and county’ county’ running!

The race she did was 1800 metres I think.

My 8yr old was doing Parkruns three years ago and now thinks nothing of running 10-15km at a decent pace. The 10yr old happily and easily does 10 mile runs with me. The 6yr old girl does Parkruns. None of them have ever stopped during a Parkrun. All three of the kids have half an hour per day at school where they are to run lap of the playground and on Mondays they do laps of the local park for an hour.

I bet they run a good few k in their lunchbreak.

I’d imagine a 7yo would let you know she wasn’t comfortable, so maybe just play it by ear.

Junior Park Run round our way is 1 mile for ages 4 to 12.

Bit stupid really for a 4 yr old is too far, for a 12 yr old its not far enough!

OP – ring the school and ask them ?

A local running club would be the best place to start. She doesnt have to join and most (worthy of the name) love to have newcomers and are more than happy for athletes to just turn up and join them for a session. They are normally very informal and I am sure she will have a great time. I joined my first running club as a teenager over 35 years ago and am still an Athletics club member. I have made some of my closest and longest friends and some of my happiest memories are related to running and competition. I can recommend it.

I’d say, to the shops and back to get you some fagz..