At what age do you let your kids run 5k solo? (Page 2)

Wow, really appreciate all the feedback. Just to be clear she's just running for fun, and will have no problem covering the distance. The plan at this point is to run it together again, and wait at the finish for her sister and mom. I never even suggested the race last year, they just brought it up so we signed up as a family. All summer they kept asking when the race was this year. I just kept telling them end of September beginning of October. Then the Girls on the Run program at school started again they reminded me to sign them up. If they hadn't, I would of ran the Half but will have more fun running with my daughter.

I was really just seeing what age others let their kids go it alone. I agree with the post regarding the meeting places, contacts, etc. Was even going to let her carry my phone in a race belt if she went it alone, could call my wife, if she got lost (somehow).

If she tells me she wants to do it herself I plan to run in front of her and meet at the finish. Besides, it may be one of my last chances I'll be able to beat her.

NEVER coz she'll beat me.

Elitists.

It's a 5K, not a marathon. I think if they're old enough to have a plan and execute it sensibly if they can't finish, they're old enough to run. I did some as an 11 year old; certainly at that age I had enough sense to let a course official know if there was a problem (there wasn't). I teach fifth grade and quite a few of our kids run/walk/jog the Terry Fox run solo or with friends (not with parents) each year. It's a big crowd of almost 10,000 people and everyone's always shown up intact on Monday.

As for training, no, I wouldn't have a kid that age doing anything high-powered. But a healthy kid with good basic fitness doesn't need a heavy training program just to finish with a smile. I recall running 2-3 miles at a time, 4-5 days a week at that age, not year round but just for a few months to get ready for a local race. No speedwork to speak of--if I felt energetic, I ran faster! Many of my students, who don't train regularly but are active in sports and PE, have jogged most/all of the 5K with little or no prior training.

And as for more high-powered training for older kids, I think it depends on the young person--their physical and emotional maturity, and whether the motivation is coming from within or they're being pushed too hard by a parent or coach. I was close to the speed of the young lady in question as a teenager. I loved to train and loved to race, still do. Never had a stress fracture in my life; few overuse injuries either. I generally trained sensibly and had good coaches who held me back when needed. I didn't quit due to "burnout" or injuries, but difficulty reconciling other career and life goals (teaching kids, living overseas) with serious training. I've never regretted spending the time I did in my youth training and racing.....it brought me places I would not have gone otherwise, literally and figuratively. Yes, perhaps I would have been faster had I started marathons in my late 20's. But that wasn't what I wanted at that time....I was pursuing other goals. I've regretted a lot of choices in my life, but not my running. Ever.

My son ran his first 5K this summer at age 9. It was a local race that I was also running. I just met him at the finish line. There were other people there who knew he and I, the route was pretty simple --where I could see him out an out and back section, and the race was a nice size for the situation. He did no specific training, other than running a mile each week at hockey practice. He did do our 3.5 mile loop once with me and once with his mom pretty easily, so I knew he could handle the distance.

I really think that it depends on the kid.
I run with them at their kiddie races as a bonding thing, but would stop if they asked to go solo.
We don't do training runs together.
I run before they wake, and they run at school.

I don't push my kids towards mileage, but right now, my 4 yo daughter put in 1.2 -1.8 miles last week at my son's elementary school three days last week.

They do morning "Run Club" and she likes getting the dots on the back of her hand like the big kids.

She wears good shoes, runs by herself or with some Kindergarten - Second grade kids, has a good natural running technique, stops if she isn't smiling, and never complains or appears to have any negative impact.

My 7 yo son ran 60 miles last school year, but he socializes more and ends up walking and talking during run club.
We don't put any pressure on him to do otherwise, but I think getting lapped by little sister is taking its toll.

Yeah, and no body parts have fallen out either (if of my generation that will ring a bell with something they told us in sex ed about running during your "cycle").

I did 10k solo at 11... my son did the ironkids mile solo at 6.