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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

6 year old running 2k with no adult

173 replies

user2319978 · 07/08/2017 21:14

Posting here for traffic :)

My just turned 6 year old loves running. He regularly attends junior parkrun events. The courses are 2k. Recently we've not been in a position to run with him and I've felt really uneasy allowing him to run the 2k on his own. He is out of my sight for about 6 minutes while he completes lap one, then another 6 minutes to complete lap 2.

I am buying him a GPS watch so I can track him, and he can SOS me if needed. I have lots of friends with 5 year olds who run the races with no parents.

What are people's thoughts on the junior park run events? (if you don't know what they are - they are weekly organised runs for 4 to 14 year olds - 2k distance, marshalls round the course. In our local event there are about 150 children running each week)

Am I being unreasonable to worry like hell for the whole 6miutes he's out of my sight? (that someone will kidnapp him, he'll get whisked away by a paedophile, he'll fall and no-one will help him .... etc ....) Is the GPS phone (with SOS and I can listen to him as he runs) enough? would you let your 5 or 6 year old run in these events with a GPS watch?

thanks for your tips!

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 07/08/2017 21:27

And don't track him- it'll just make him think there's something to worry about.

luckylucky24 · 07/08/2017 21:27

It is an organised event with all those dilemma in mind so yes I would.

Boredboredboredboredbored · 07/08/2017 21:27

I wouldn't have any issues with him doing that on an organised park run. Have attended many myself they are well run, heavily marshalled and 6 minutes isn't a long time.

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 21:28

Thanks User... yes, I'm super proud! (but I just worry his (over) confidence and enthusiasm for everything might get him in trouble if I don't keep the boundaries carefully! .. an as he's my first, I'm not always sure where the boundaries should be!!)

OP posts:
Glumglowworm · 07/08/2017 21:29

I think it's fine since there are marshalls and lots of other people around

Make sure he knows to ask the marshalls for help if he needs it for any reason, and yes to PP suggestion of a wristband with your phone number on so you can be quickly contacted

If the organisers didn't think it was safe, they wouldn't let unaccompanied children take part.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 07/08/2017 21:29

It's fine. I do Parkrun with my kids and there's loads of small children running on their own. The whole thing is very heavily marshalled.

My eldest runs alone now. Sadly I'm too slow to keep up!

BadPolicy · 07/08/2017 21:29

I've never been to a junior park run, but at my local adult event you can always see a marshal. They're there to help, I don't see why they wouldn't step in if he was hurt. I'd let him run alone.

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 21:29

sorry keyboard sticking and my n's and d's are not coming out!!

OP posts:
Crumbs1 · 07/08/2017 21:30

It's fine. It's an organised event. It's not very far and he wants to do it.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 07/08/2017 21:31

For Junior Parkrun your emergency contact details should be on his barcode anyway.

You could Sharpie his arm with them too if you're super concerned. I wouldn't bother with a GPS tracker. The areas are very small - where's he gonna go?

Cantstopeatingchocolate · 07/08/2017 21:33

My 7 yo has been doing park run for a year and a half and most weeks he runs on his own or with some other children he knows (sometimes with their parents sometimes not). When my DH takes him they mostly run together but DH also marshals if needed.
DS runs in an illuminous yellow tee and I can see almost the whole route so I don't worry. The group splits quite quickly but there are always others kids and parents around and loads of marshals too.
If a gps watch eases your mind then do it.

MsHarry · 07/08/2017 21:33

Would you let him walk across a park out of sight for 6 minutes? I wouldn't. Unless he can run with someone who will take responsibility I would just tell him to wait until you can run with him.

sirfredfredgeorge · 07/08/2017 21:33

Junior parkrun is designed such that a marshall can see all parts of the course at all times, at the three different ones I've attended, all of them have had 5/6/7 year olds running solo. DD first did it when she was 4, although that was on a course where you could just about see the whole course from where I was marshalling it, and she knew lots of other runners.

6minute / km pace is quite common for 5/6 years olds, yet there are lots of adults who that's a bit fast for.

Anyway, yes absolutely do it at a parkrun.

Daddynosharing · 07/08/2017 21:34

They have so many marshals and are always within sight of one so I would definitely not worry about it!

wheredoesallthetimego · 07/08/2017 21:35

My oldest ran junior parkrun on her own at 6 and youngest will do when he turns 6 - but the 2k is make up of 3 laps so you can see most of the course all the time. Are there lots of marshalls?

MsHarry · 07/08/2017 21:35

It's not that he will go it's how many undesirables might be lurking near a junior park run where kids run unattended. It happens outside schools unfortunately.

cuckooplusone · 07/08/2017 21:35

If you order the key fob bar code, he can tie it into his laces and presumably has your number as his emergency contact

AnnieAnoniMouse · 07/08/2017 21:36

It's a well organised event, he'll be fine.

I bet he's out of your sight for longer than that at soft play etc.with less supervision. A lot of 6 year olds 'play out' with no supervision.

If you let the cotton woolers on here decide what's ok you wouldn't let them go to Uni.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 07/08/2017 21:38

MsHarry. Give over. Name ONE child abducted from a Park Run.

Nope. Didn't think so.

Craigie · 07/08/2017 21:39

It's fine, people are hysterical about dangers which simply don't exist. The only thing which is genuinely more dangerous today is traffic, and that's not involved here, so it is absolutely fine.

MsHarry · 07/08/2017 21:40

What a silly thing to sayAnnie I have 2 DDs aged nearly 17 and 13. They are not wrapped in cotton wool and one will be going to uni. If OP was fin with it why is she on here? She is uncomfortable with it for a reason.

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 21:41

Yes MsHarry, that's what scares me! Its a great parkrun he does, but most of it is in woods - so my imagination always tells me someone will be lurking and pull him off into the woods! Maybe I've been watching too many scary TV shows!

I do strap the barcode thing to him, which has my number on!

mmmm.... I'm really happy no-one has told me I'm an awful parent for having him let him do this alone! (was perhaps expectig to be told this!!!), and I'm encouraged by people saying it's ok, so I think I'll try the GPS next time, and see if it eases my mind - and thanks for the suggestion - I'll reiterate to him only to speak to the marshalls and not to walk off with anyone, and to call me on the GPS thing if he needs to.

OP posts:
MsHarry · 07/08/2017 21:42

I work in a school where we have had reports(about one a year) of attempted abductions outside schools in the town, i.e where children congregate without adults. I can't see why some friends can't stand around the course so the child is always in sight. Simple.

newtlover · 07/08/2017 21:43

what BR said- it's clearly a very safe event, and if you lay it on heavy with the GPS watch you are planting fears in their mind- think of it as therapy for yourself, OP- six whole minutes they are out of your sight and the worst that can happen is they trip and get brought back to you by a friendly (and doubtless DBS checked) adult.

Fourmagpies · 07/08/2017 21:43

He'll be fine. It's an organised event with marshals and plenty of runners including adults. It's very unlikely that anything could happen to him. DS1 has run it on his own several times, usually isn't out of sight for long and never out of sight of a marshal. I doubt any other adults running would let someone take a child.