chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/loca … rathon.htm
I discussed this with some of my Taiwanese co-workers and they believe there is nothing wrong with it. Maybe I’m just soft but the bit about the kid crying for the last 10km just sounds kind of…abusive is the word I’m looking for.
This is not an indictment against Taiwanese society. This story could have come from anywhere. I realize that we’ve got 13-year-olds sailing around the world and 10-year-olds giving birth but for chrissakes, what the fuck?
i’m surprised that there isn’t a minimum age. I would have thought that pounding the tarmac for so long at such a young age may do some serious damage, especially when you add on the hours of training he must have had to do
I agree. As the mother of a 6-year-old, I think this is extreme. Not that I don’t believe in pushing kids, because I certainly do, and we often give our children the opportunity to do something that is difficult or that they think they cannot do. But pushing a child to run 26 miles? That seems cruel and possible dangerous.
It’s ridiculous and extremely harmful for such a young person to be taking part in long distance running events. I would even have been surprised if a six year old was taking part in 10km runs, but that may still be ok, depending on the individual, but I wouldn’t encourage it.
Most speed events (100m to 3000/5000m and steeplechase) have athletes coming into their prime in their late teens and maturing in their early to mid twenties. A few still run outstanding times into their early thirties, but that’s not the norm. Many middle distance runners start to make the transition to longer events in their mid twenties to late twenties and the best marathoners (and half-marathoners) are usually in their late twenties to early or mid thirties (some even doing well or running world class times into their early forties). This is simply because speed decreases from your mid twenties onwards, but your stamina tends to increase, especially if a solid speed and stamina base has been built in your teens and early twenties.
A six year old is still developing fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, bone density and a wide range of other physical attributes well into their late teens. The physical requirements of long distance running simply aren’t there, and encouraging one so young to run so far on a regular basis is sure to cause more damage than good over the long term (think in terms of knee, back and hip strain, damage that will worsen as the child grows and inhibit growth).
A child that age should not be pushed beyond what their body is comfortable with (which can depend on the individual).
Interestingly, also because most runners only really mature in their late teens to mid twenties (later in terms of distance running), this is why school champions, u17 champions and even u19 world champions hardly ever go on to achieve greatness. A case in point is Ato Bolton who was the u19 world record holder and world champion in the 100m and the 200m. He never quite lived up to what people thought would be his potential as a senior sprinter and was eclipsed by runners who were unknowns in the u17/19 world champs.
Besides which, although younger athletes should have a clear favourite sport at an early age if they hope to excel in it, younger kids are usually encouraged to diversify to promote overall coordination, strength, speed and stamina.
Personally, I think this boy’s parents were nuts to allow this, and I’m willing to bet that this “record” (in child abuse?) will be the only one in running that this kid will ever hold. 
That said, I’m very surprised that one so young had the mental strength to not only complete a marathon, but to push on through what must have been an excruciating last 10kms.
Maybe the parents, with several sons, are looking for the next Tiger Woods, of running…
I ran this race and I have to say that the parents are nutcases for allowing this. According to pedatrics research, distance running should not even be started until one is in his/her early teens. Marathon running, especially on pavement, is incredibly stressful on the joints, especially knees. I am very hopeful that the organizers will impose minimum age restrictions in future races. Based on what I have heard, this is actually being discussed.
Clearly a six year old kid doesn’t have the physical makeup for a marathon. The fact that he was crying for so many km is more than ample proof. Clearly he was being forced to do this, and I’d call it a form of abuse.
OMG that’s really shocking and upsetting. I can’t believe his parents could be so pushy and ignorant.
There’s no way a child’s body should be subjected to that kind of distance running. I can’t look for it now but I read an article a while ago about a man in his 20’s who used to run with his dad from the age of eight, not marathons but a lot of miles, and now he was suffering the consequences. His spine had started to collapse I think.
I think distance running is a fantastic sport I was given Born to Run http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Run-Hidden-Ultra-Runners-Greatest/dp/1861978774/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293979551&sr=1-1 for Christmas and it’s a great book, but it’s not a sport for children!
Personally, I love running the marathon, but there is nothing easy about it. It is punishing in nearly every part of the body. Pediatrics research indicates that distance running should not be attempted by children until they are at least 14 years old. Six is WAY TOO YOUNG for this and hopefully the ROC Road Running Association will institute minimum age requirements in the future.