Kids running / advice on ‘blocking’

Boy#1 who has just had his 9th birthday has been getting very into his running over the last couple of years.  He’s getting to the point he’s quite quick for his age (24min 5k) and is trying to ‘win’ his junior parkrun.  (yes I know its not a race..).  He’s done over 50 junior park runs and several adult ones, and really enjoyed his first few XC races over winter.

We’ve also recently joined the local athletics club which has a really good reputation and he is getting on well there

But…. he is finding that he is getting blocked on the track / course by other boys.  Its stopping him getting past and causing frustration.  I was relatively close and saw one incident where the boy in front veered into his line, causing them both to stumble.

Apparently last night a lad was deliberately blocking him on the 600m, and he said he was deliberately flicking out his spikes.  No idea if this is true / possible, but its what he was saying

Any advice on how to deal with this?  I’ve been telling him these aren’t proper races and its just training but that obviously doesn’t help if it happens in a real event.

I suppose we could talk to the coach, but as we’ve only just joined I don’t want to be branded a pain in the ass.  Plus doesn’t help with random kids getting in the way at other events

ankle tap would seem appropriate? they won’t block him twice?

I’d ask the coach on what the right way to overtake is. If its anything like motorsport some level of blocking is part of the sport, but too much is unsportsmanlike. Its a bit of a grey area.

‘Flicking out spikes’ at pace might be quite hard to do with intent, without slowing yourself down too much. And also hard to flick them out far enough you’d be obstructing someone in a different lane. So that sounds a bit odd.

Getting spiked in XC when you run too close together is definitely a thing though (or deliberately trying to scrape the back of someone’s calves in front), ouch… albeit not as bad as a proper shin/pedal impact in my experience.

I was relatively close and saw one incident where the boy in front veered into his line, causing them both to stumble.

The coach should be having a word about that – if the kids are training in specific lanes, the importance of not straying out of your lane (which will get you DQed in a race) ought to be emphasised. Although if it’s just a one off the coach might think, as you say, it’s only a training session and they’re only young so let it slide the once.

I’ve spoken to him about ensuring their is plenty of space when he overtakes, but in running its not like motorsport or mtb, an overtake can take a while as you pull close and then try to get past the speed difference is marginal.  He does adjust his line, but then so do the kids that are blocking

Might add, its not a regular thing but its happened more than a few times now.  From speaking with other parents the kid with the spikes is known to not be a particularly nice kid (when running, not sure about generally!)

In the XC he saw a kid get pushed down a bank in front of him so he’s seen it getting rough (narrow bit by southampton dry ski slope for any soton folk reading, quite a drop there!)

I think, in the 600 they only stay in lane for part of it, not the full lap and a half.  DQ is something he’s aware off.  He’s very good at following rules, but not so much at dealing with what he thinks is cheating / unfair play

Hmm – if the kid who is doing the blocking is a bad’un, its plausible and sounds like you might just need to have a private word with the coach.

Not sure I can think of any other approaches unless you get your boy some 15mm spikes and encourage him to give as good as he gets😈

Deliberate pushing and shoving obviously isn’t on, and the coach should be jumping on that, but otherwise he needs to learn tactics/positioning, same as roadies riding in a bunch, for example how not to find himself boxed in at the important moment when the sprint for the line kicks off, or in the XC getting ahead before the narrow bit. Coach should be able to teach him that, and the rest will come with experience

If he gets blocked at JPR the speak to the RD. At soton JPR (rather then the common JPR which I assume you goto) they have been hot on this in the past.

This is what coaches are there to deal with. You or your son need to start with “we feel that…..can you keep an eye out”.

I’m a coach. Talk to the coach.

That.  Talk to the coach.

But he’ll need to get used to going past people and people going past him , fast and close.

I still have a set of spikemarks in my left lower leg from The National at least in circa 98….

Get him to watch some videos of Steve Ovett back in the 80’s.  That guy knew how to ensure no one got in his way.

Talk to the coach it is 🙂  Hopefully I won’t come across as a moany overly precious parent…..

He has a week off from training so I might see how the next few sessions go, I’ve spoken to him about learning to be a bit more aware of positioning and anticipating what other runners might do, especially if he knows certain boys have a reputation for making it difficult to pass.

“Get yer elbows out son!”

I’d mention it quietly to the coach.  Ask him for his advice and to keep an eye on it.

Something he will have to get used to, to some degree.

Work on his start. If he can get off the mark quicker, there’ll be fewer people to over take.

Not that I’ve run competitively but rowing at uni, it was usually the crew that accelerated hardest off the line that won.

Those quicker middle distance events are the ones where there is most ‘contact’ – even up to the top elite level. Once runners can move to the inside lane then running the shortest distance has its advantages but getting boxed in is a distinct possibility.

I’d see the training races at his age as the start of his ‘race-craft’ learning period. How he manages races will depend on whether he prefers to lead from the front or if he has a fast finish for example – that will help him work out where to be in the pack.

As above; use the coach but get your lad to do the asking – ‘I got boxed in that last race and the lad in front developed really wide elbows and was flicking his spikes wide but I knew I was faster – how do I get past him next time?’

Hadn’t thought about that, his preferred way of running is a slower start with a fast sprint at the end.  So he tends to be towards the back in the first half and then he is used to storming past everyone at the end and feeling like a hero.

But now thats not working well as he is getting blocked and caught up causing the frustration.

I am in the he needs to ‘Man Up’ a bit category

You see it happening at top professional level so its something he needs to learn to deal with. If he doesnt he wont make it as a professional athlete (yes I know that might not be his goal, but you get my drift)

It happens in all competitive sports that there will be some who bully a little more than others.

1. I would be asking the coach to teach your son how to deal with it (then coach knows your aware)

2. Let your son know that its a positive its happening, as clearly the other runners feel threatened by his ability. (see it as a positive)

My son plays football to a high level. When he came off the pitch aged 10 ish he would complain about being pushed, kicked etc etc. Now 14 he enjoys the physical challenge. He never dishes it out but has learnt how to fend it off and be stronger than these weaker (less talented)  players.

if you dont want to sound like a moany precious parent, then dont say “coach, everyone keeps blocking my son and its not fair” and try something more like “little timmy seems to be getting himself blocked in a lot, what should he be doing?”

IANAParent or a Coach.

” his preferred way of running is a slower start with a fast sprint at the end. ”

Because he doesn’t warm up adequately?

Because he doesn’t warm up adequately?

No I would imagine its because hes a 9 yr old kid and enjoys running like that 🙂

Wont work as he gets older though.

Get him on the rugby pitch.

That’ll help him. Kids might try and block him once – but probably not a second time.

Kids that do more than one sport tend to be better than kids who concentrate on one sport too early.

if you dont want to sound like a moany precious parent, then dont say “coach, everyone keeps blocking my son and its not fair” and try something more like “little timmy seems to be getting himself blocked in a lot, what should he be doing?”

That is a very good idea

Because he doesn’t warm up adequately?

That sounds like a great way of putting off a nine year old from running – he has plenty of time to change his approach should he want to. My daughter (14) is the same – she knows not to let people get too far in front, but she takes it relatively easy, then blasts the last 200m (800m distance). She doesn’t run outside of school athletics at all (as in no training whatsoever) and has come 2nd and 3rd in her first two races of the season in the local inter-school competition just by doing what she knows she can do. It pisses off some of the others who all know each other from athletics clubs and other competitions.