Has anyone done C25k with a child?

[Reggit]

Our 5 year old, who’s ‘the fastest runner in his class’ (according to him) has been asking me to take him running.

Been wondering if I can do the couch to 5k program with him if I can get the pace right, probably a fast walk pace for me.

Has anyone tried this with their child and is it actually safe for one so young?

Cheers all

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

That sounds like a positive thing to try. Many primary schools run a daily mile, it started in Stirling a good number of years ago, maybe think about that too, cover a mile but not worry about the structure of starting and stopping at that young age. Happy running 🤗thedailymile.co.uk/

[damienair Administrator]

Yes absolutely. It will be no problem to your little guy. Just keep the pace nice and slow. It is good to teach pace, holding back and running easy for longer runs. Kids sprint everywhere. For a 5 year old I would keep the distance to 2-2.5 K max.I started running with my eldest son not long after starting myself 4 years ago. My Son was 7 then. He started doing parkrun with me on Saturday mornings. He was well able for 5K when he was 8 and 9 years old. He is 11 now and I am looking forward to getting back to some parkrun tourism with him when all this madness is over.

A couple of years ago there was a 3K race organised by his School on country roads. Parents and kids took part walking, jogging and running. Oisin had had a chat with some of his close friends before the race and explained to them the importance of pacing themselves so as not to run out of steam too fast. When all of his fellow classmates sprinted off from the start line my son and his close friends ran off at a nice consistent pace passing out everyone else after 1K. They finished together and were not too far from the leading pack. He can kick to the finish line with 0.5K to go.

So it is great to teach kids how to run because it is something that they do naturally. And it is a lovely way to spend time with them too. When parkrun returns you should try a few Junior parkruns with your son, they are 2K.

Damien

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10]

Sounds like a great idea, give it a whirl and see what happens!

[Reggit Graduate10 in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Have done - look in C25k

[wallruns Graduate10]

Go for it and see what happens. When my son was 8 he wanted to run with me, so we started c25k. After a couple of weeks he didn't want to run anymore. (Plenty of other things going on in the precovid era.) A few months later I did a local 10k, he saw other children doing the children's race. He said that he wanted to do it the following year. I told him if he trained for it he could enter. He joined the school running club and did the race.

That was a few years ago. Since then we've done a number of 5ks together, a colour run, an inflatable obstacle course and had loads of fun.

[SlowLoris]

In short, no. The distances are too long for that age. Young kids are sprinters, short high energy bursts. Build up to a mile maybe.