ADVERTISEMENT

Race organizers blasted for allowing 6-year-old to run full marathon

torbee

HR King
Gold Member
I'm not a running expert, so have no idea how egregious this really is, but from a common sense standpoint, seems pretty dumb.

6-year-old allowed to run full marathon​



By Ken Baker and Gray News staff
Published: May. 9, 2022 at 9:05 AM CDT|U


CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - Controversy followed the Flying Pig Marathon last weekend after a 6-year-old was allowed to run the full 26.2-mile race.
The 6-year-old’s family, numbering eight total, ran the race together and finished with the same time. The other five children are ages 11, 15, 17, 19 and 20.
The race has a posted age minimum of 18 years old.
Race organizers said they justified allowing the 6-year-old to race because the family has had a pattern of racing as so-called “bandits,” or racing without paying or following the rules.


Flying Pig executive director Iris Simpson Bush said in an open letter published Wednesday, “The intent was to try to offer protection and support if they were on our course (Medical, Fluids and Replenishment). Our decision was intended for some amount of safety and protection for the child. The family finished the race after the formal closure of the race course.”
Bush also said the marathon “takes the safety and security of all participants very seriously,” accepted responsibility for the decision and also accepted that “it was not the best course of action. Our requirement of 18+ for participation in the marathon will be strictly observed moving forward.”
The executive director’s full statement was posted by WXIX.

David Nelson has been a member of the Cincinnati Running Club since the ‘70s. He’s an avid local runner who believes a full marathon is too much for young children.


“I’m OK with young kids running 5Ks,” he said Wednesday. “I see that occasionally. And a lot of these races have these kids runs. That’s OK, too. But I just think a 6-year-old, even if you’re a kid prodigy, that’s too much.”

Nelson can only remember once he’s ever seen a young child run marathon distances. He says he’s glad race officials didn’t interfere and and feels the decision should be left up to the parents whether the child should run.

The story appears to have gotten national attention as well.

Kara Goucher, a two-time Olympian and World Championship runner, saying in part via Twitter on Wednesday: “I’m not questioning motivation or saying it is bad parenting. But as an Olympic athlete, I promise you this is not good for the child. Children are children. Let them run around, but as the parent you need to protect their growing bodies and their young minds.”
Copyright 2022 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: FlickShagwell
Blast the parents, not the organizers. Race organizers have too much going on and hundreds if not thousands of other participants to care for other than bandits.

Bandits are SOTE. Organizations put way too much time and energy into it for people to jump in for free.
It sounds like in this case they gave the family an exception and officially let the kids run, and that they didn't run as bandits.
 
Blast the parents, not the organizers. Race organizers have too much going on and hundreds if not thousands of other participants to care for other than bandits.

Bandits are SOTE. Organizations put way too much time and energy into it for people to jump in for free.
But in this case, the organizers allowed the kid in BECAUSE they knew the family were bandits. They made the choice to officially "OK" the practice rather than enforce their own rules.
 
Meh.. It is safer for that 6 year old to run the marathon than it would be for me to run a marathon. I would probably have a heart attack by mile 6, or get rhabdo. Who am I to judge if the kid was safe. On the other hand, if the parents were forcing the kid to run, and he didn't want to, that is a totally different story. Or if the kid looked like he was having a hard time, then they should be forced to stop. But just running the race? not a big deal.

Edit: After googling this, these parents seem like crazy hippies. this article says: "Rainier completed the marathon in 8 hours and 35 minutes. But according to a post on the family’s Instagram, Rainier was “crying” and “struggling physically” toward the end. As an incentive to keep moving, the Crawfords said they promised Rainier two cans of Pringles".

"Race organizers allowing a 6 year old to run a marathon. Child stopping every 3mins after 20 miles, crying and emotionally distressed. Parents bribing him to finish & he’ll get Pringles. Parents seeing no issue in allowing this to happen. Everything about this is wrong!” Troop wrote on Twitter".

In response to public outcry, the Crawfords published a lengthy statement on Instagram to “lay out facts.” They explained that Rainier had been “begging” to participate in the marathon.

“Both parents gave him a 50/50 chance of completing it and we were ready to pull the plug at any moment if he requested it or if we viewed his safety at risk,” they wrote. “We asked him numerous times if he wanted to stop, and he was VERY clear that his preference was to continue. We did not see any sign of heat exhaustion or dehydration and honored his request to keep going.”


 
Last edited:
But in this case, the organizers allowed the kid in BECAUSE they knew the family were bandits. They made the choice to officially "OK" the practice rather than enforce their own rules.
It sounds like in this case they gave the family an exception and officially let the kids run, and that they didn't run as bandits.
Seems like their stance was "Well, they're going to do it whether we allow them to or not, so we can at least be there."

I think race intentions were good, parents should be blasted.
 
Seems like their stance was "Well, they're going to do it whether we allow them to or not, so we can at least be there."

I think race intentions were good, parents should be blasted.
If it is a bad idea (like I said, not a doctor or a running expert) then BOTH should be blasted.

Why not just enforce the rule? It's not like it would be hard to identify the 6-year-old (or the 11-year-old who ran, for that matter) as clearly not 18 or over as the rules require and escort them off the course.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old_wrestling_fan
I do not think this is any different than parents of olympic gymnasts though. If you see what those young kids go through, I think this is minor in comparison.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ghost80
If it is a bad idea (like I said, not a doctor or a running expert) then BOTH should be blasted.

Why not just enforce the rule? It's not like it would be hard to identify the 6-year-old (or the 11-year-old who ran, for that matter) as clearly not 18 or over as the rules require and escort them off the course.
They should, but the organization most likely weighed a bunch of different outcomes. If they think that the parents are just going to come back and keep running anyway, then they prob didn't want to keep disrupting the race by trying to stop and apprehend a child and their parents. They prob figured it was less of a backlash to lean in and just help the kid if needed. Which seems to be the right choice as the backlash isn't really that bad.
 
I do not think this is any different than parents of olympic gymnasts though. If you see what those young kids go through, I think this is minor in comparison.
Or the wrestler that starves themselves so much to make weight in high school it F’s them up for life because they were also going through puberty.

lots of “closet abuse” it doesn’t make it right or forgivable.

I blame the parents and it causes unneeded stress to the race workers/ organizers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hawk_82
My guess this is a bit of both. It's a running family and they wanted him to race. Don't think the rules apply to them.
This. The family put the race and the child in a lose-lose position. The organizers had good reason to believe they were going to run the race regardless. Letting the kid participate and monitoring the family was probably going to get less backlash than trying to physically stop them or let the kid get injured.
 
This. The family put the race and the child in a lose-lose position. The organizers had good reason to believe they were going to run the race regardless. Letting the kid participate and monitoring the family was probably going to get less backlash than trying to physically stop them or let the kid get injured.
As u said before organizers have bigger fish to fry. Making sure there are enough liquids, facilities, first aid, sponsors, etc available. So they don't have a giant catastrophe instead of random jack wagons biting off more than they can chew. Get them to sign waivers and be on your way.
 
I have a 6 year old. Any given nice weekend day he runs the equivalent of 26.2+ miles a day anyway. What’s the big deal?
My guess the “big deal” is someone is wanting attention and needed something to whine about for said attention.
 
So are race bandits a real thing? Never heard of it and from the article it sounds like a common happening and name for them?
 
If a six-year-old is allowed to decide that he/she is the opposite gender, then this pales in comparison.
 
So are race bandits a real thing? Never heard of it and from the article it sounds like a common happening and name for them?
I did it once. Joined the Eldridge Midnight Run after a few beers at a downtown bar. Didn’t sign up or anything, just showed up to starting line half in the bag and ran a 10k.

That was over 20 years ago when I wasn’t as fat a bastard.
 
So are race bandits a real thing? Never heard of it and from the article it sounds like a common happening and name for them?
Yes. They don't get a timing chip or bib, and usually they aren't ballsy enough to start at the starting line, but they'll prob join in a block down and run the course.
 
Or the wrestler that starves themselves so much to make weight in high school it F’s them up for life because they were also going through puberty.

lots of “closet abuse” it doesn’t make it right or forgivable.

I blame the parents and it causes unneeded stress to the race workers/ organizers.
FWIW, that practice has been really curtailed through different rules enacted through the years. We cut more weight in Jr. High, when we really shouldn't have been doing it, than what my sons did in Sr. High about 10 years ago now.

Is there some weight cutting in HS? Yes, but a fraction of what it was back in the day.
 
What is the cut-off age to criticize the parents for allowing a child to run ? Five siblings were in the race, and 3 were under the min age to participate. One of those children was only 11, yet no one seems to be carrying the torch for that child, selective outrage is an annoyance.
I think it is incredibly impressive the young man made it 26.2 miles and I sure as hell hope he got those pringles
 
FWIW, that practice has been really curtailed through different rules enacted through the years. We cut more weight in Jr. High, when we really shouldn't have been doing it, than what my sons did in Sr. High about 10 years ago now.

Is there some weight cutting in HS? Yes, but a fraction of what it was back in the day.
Back in the 90s I had friends that would constantly spit in a cup throughout the day and jog around the track in sweats while starving themselves to make weight. Some days they looked like death, it was amazing they could even wrestle at that point. I think one lost 8 or 9 lbs in a friggin day one time. Crazy.
 
I'm not a running expert, so have no idea how egregious this really is, but from a common sense standpoint, seems pretty dumb.

6-year-old allowed to run full marathon​



By Ken Baker and Gray News staff
Published: May. 9, 2022 at 9:05 AM CDT|U


CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - Controversy followed the Flying Pig Marathon last weekend after a 6-year-old was allowed to run the full 26.2-mile race.
The 6-year-old’s family, numbering eight total, ran the race together and finished with the same time. The other five children are ages 11, 15, 17, 19 and 20.
The race has a posted age minimum of 18 years old.
Race organizers said they justified allowing the 6-year-old to race because the family has had a pattern of racing as so-called “bandits,” or racing without paying or following the rules.


Flying Pig executive director Iris Simpson Bush said in an open letter published Wednesday, “The intent was to try to offer protection and support if they were on our course (Medical, Fluids and Replenishment). Our decision was intended for some amount of safety and protection for the child. The family finished the race after the formal closure of the race course.”
Bush also said the marathon “takes the safety and security of all participants very seriously,” accepted responsibility for the decision and also accepted that “it was not the best course of action. Our requirement of 18+ for participation in the marathon will be strictly observed moving forward.”
The executive director’s full statement was posted by WXIX.

David Nelson has been a member of the Cincinnati Running Club since the ‘70s. He’s an avid local runner who believes a full marathon is too much for young children.


“I’m OK with young kids running 5Ks,” he said Wednesday. “I see that occasionally. And a lot of these races have these kids runs. That’s OK, too. But I just think a 6-year-old, even if you’re a kid prodigy, that’s too much.”

Nelson can only remember once he’s ever seen a young child run marathon distances. He says he’s glad race officials didn’t interfere and and feels the decision should be left up to the parents whether the child should run.

The story appears to have gotten national attention as well.

Kara Goucher, a two-time Olympian and World Championship runner, saying in part via Twitter on Wednesday: “I’m not questioning motivation or saying it is bad parenting. But as an Olympic athlete, I promise you this is not good for the child. Children are children. Let them run around, but as the parent you need to protect their growing bodies and their young minds.”
Copyright 2022 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

 
I’m siding with the parents here. I’m not sure at what age someone is old enough to decide what is best for themselves, but it’s definitely younger than six.
 
I’m siding with the parents here. I’m not sure at what age someone is old enough to decide what is best for themselves, but it’s definitely younger than six.
Remember little Hercules. The pre pubescent boy. The parents pushed into bodybuilding. There is a line.
 
ADVERTISEMENT