do you think DD aged 7 will be ok running on roads unaccompanied

[boneyjonesy]

DD who is 7 wants to take part in a Fun run next weekend.We have been round the course her on feet me on bike and it is 2.25 miles (3.6Km) and run entirely on hilly bendy country roads which will be open.Now the first thing is that there is no way I am doing it and DH is busy with another DC that day.
There will be marshalls on the route particularly on junctions, but obviously not everywhere, and probably about 40 kids doing it altogether some with parents.The thing that worries me is that the roads are open and there is no verge or footpath and in parts visibility is reduced because of bends and hills although the road is quite wide (wide enough for 2 cars to pass) and on a sunday afternoon should be fairly quiet Do you think she will be ok doing it unaccompanied?

AFAIK, children are not allowed to run more than 1.2 miles (or thereabouts) in organised runs.
Is the fun run in this country?

I would say at 7 yo, 2.25 miles is too far to run, hills or no hills, and can have damaging effects on growing limbs.

The question of whether the OP (or indeed any of us) should or should not be able to run 3.6 km is a separate question. We have established that in this particular case, the OP cannot or will not run this distance. Moving on from that, the more important question for this thread is what she is going to do to ensure her daughter's safety while running alone on open roads?

No I don't think a 7 year old should run alone. How about getting a scooter and scooting next to her?

Jeebus H. Another one hoping this thread is a wind up.

Of course she won't be ok. She's seven ffs.

She should at least try.

If you are expecting your 7 year old to run a 2.5 hilly then you should be prepared to do it too really.

Erm, she's 7. Of course it isn't ok! YABVU

You've already said you can cycle it, so why don't you just cycle along with her? Or swap jobs with your DH.

It is completely unfair on the other parents to expect them to look out for your dd as well as their own.

Dear boney, you THINK you cannot run 2.2 miles. But I can assure you, unless you have a disability or condition, that you can. I am a huge fatty, I don't run for a bus, but every year on the day of the Race for Life I can run 3 miles in 40 minutes. That is because people are counting on me.

Your daughter is counting on you. So RUN FOREST RUN!!!

I was going to suggest swapping with your DH.

You need to ask if you can ride it, it might be allowed. There are plenty of health conditions that mean you wouldn't be able to walk or run it, but could cycle.

If it is still being used by the public, i don't see how they could stop you.

I came to say what iWhatever said. There was a recent thread about children running, and someone posted that it is inadvisable for children under 10 to run long distances (over 1.5km) on a regular basis. As such, I thought that there were no longer distances organised for young children. DS1 (6) is running 1.5 km next month, and I've not seen a run for that age group and longer than that. So, I'd say YABU to let her run that far on a road at all.

I've also never seen an organised (distance) race for the under 8s that permits unaccompanied children. Not even ones that are entirely traffic-free.

Incidently, my very sporty 6 year old won't be running 1.5 km flat out, and I fully expect to be very easily able to keep up with him, usually he sprints for around a 1km then wants a sit down, but this is by the by, I don't think it's unreasonable for an adult to be unable to go out and run 2.5 hilly miles straight off.

I think you've messed up, if you can't run, or find an adult to run with her, I don't think she'd be permitted to do it. She certainly shouldn't be, if they've done their risk assessment right. unless they'll let you go with her on a bike. Which given that the roads are open, how can they stop you?

howah ... I'm a bit overweight, and reasonably fit (lots of walking) but I know I can't run that far - even on the flat - because I've been trying to do it recently.

howah says that really needs to be said.

BTW we run over a national park and its seriously hilly. Up and down all the way.

See, if i were the OP id be taking on board what was said here, admitting id made an error of judgement and doing what i had to to ensure my DD could do the race safely. I am a bit about a race for this age group on open roads and hope that it is a properly organised race.

Its not just about doi keeping her safe though is it, its about doing stuff with her - i think its a bloody poor show tbh

Well it's better than I envisaged that's for sure bejeezus

Yy to doing things with her, Lucy. I couldn't run 2.5 hilly miles just like that either, but I could damn well walk it and run as much as I was able. I'd be totally knackered, scarlet in the face, sweating buckets and panting like a walrus, but I'd still try. Oh, and if my DD said she wanted to do this, I'd do some training so as not to make a total arse of myself, thus embarrassing her as well as me.

AFAIK, children are not allowed to run more than 1.2 miles (or thereabouts) in organised runs

Best tell that to DSs who ran in a 5K the other week.
With their father.

I was driving down a rural A road on Sunday lunchtime and there was a family fun cycle race in progress on one carriageway. There were marshalls at road junctions so the cyclists knew when to turn off but not otherwise. I know that this was cycling not running but there is no way I'd let a child do what you're suggesting on her own, having seen yesterday's cycling. The adults were cycling nearest to the traffic, in high vis vests, to help ensure a barrier between any children and the overtaking traffic who were having to overtake individuals / small groups and then duck back in because of vehicles coming the other way. This wasn't the odd car, it was a stream of traffic, and the bikes were turning off into a side road with a Range Rover and tractor waiting at the junction.

The OP's daughter's course may not be as hair-raising as this but I was stunned that this cycle trip went ahead without closing the road in some way. The adults needed to be with the children to provide height and therefore visibility on the road. I'd have thought that this would be particularly the case when running as children are more likely to stop / pause for breath and not check when they do whether there's a car coming up behind them / know to get over onto the grass verge. Your DD will need to be with / part of a group with an adult to provide this added level of protection for her. What would happen if she stopped dead to tie her shoe lace or tried to run around someone else who had stopped to tie theirs, running into the flow of traffic in the meantime? If she had been running on a running track, then I'd have said no problem, but a 7-year old cannot do a road race without physical adult support.

'If you are expecting your 7 year old to run a 2.5 hilly then you should be prepared to do it too really. '

ohchristFENTON the crucial difference is that she wants to do it.

EmandLu said time and time again I don't want other parents to look after her.

I have emailed the organisers about the traffic situation and I'll see what they say.

I am a runner, do up 50 km a week sometimes more.

However I do understand that running is not everyones thing. So I wasn't going to bother commenting but the "No Way" thing irritated me a bit as well.

I think you should make the effort. My Dad used to pretty much MAKE me go out and exercise with him, he was in the forces and very fit. My Mum never did any exercise and struggled with her weight. Had it been left to her I would have probably ended up that way too. I feel like my Dad gave me a gift even though I hated it at the time.

I think parents should make the effort and even if they struggle themselves try to impart an idea to their that exercise is necessary for health and is actually enjoyable, which it is btw if you find YOUR thing.

People who don't exercise and seem proud of it or imply that exercise is an unpleasant, sweaty undertaking to be avoided at all costs to their dc are doing them a disservice imvho.

Oh, and if my DD said she wanted to do this, I'd do some training so as not to make a total arse of myself

we don't know how much notice the OP had of her DD's wish to participate. She might have not been given enough time to buy shoes let alone do any sort of training.

Anyhow, seems like the only possible option is 'on yer bike'. Hope that works out Bonesey.

The OP hasn't just been sitting on her couch... cycling 2.5 miles of hills is beyond what some people could or would do.

So can you all do all the things your 7 year olds can do?

When I had 7 year olds, I would have had to be able to do a double somersault on a trampoline, climb a rope to the top of the gym, skateboard, play the ukelele, shoot a penalty, watch Top Gear without reaching for a machine gun and a whole list of other accomplishments in order to share their activities.

I see no reason why the op should run with her dd if she doesn't want to. She can cycle with her, or make an arrangement for her to run with another family. There are alternatives to the OP running with her dd, and the child running alone.

No - you just would have had to not let her do a double somersault on a trampoline on an open road while assuming other people would keep an eye out!

Seeker - why can't she walk?