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AIBU?

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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:
TinDogTavern · 07/08/2017 21:55

Delilah that's an excerpt from parkrun (hence reference to 5k) rules, not junior parkrun (2k) rules. They're different events.

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 21:56

ahh thanks Blatherskite :) that is very very reassuring! thank you

OP posts:
TheresTheFlyingFuckIDontGive · 07/08/2017 21:56

It definitely doesn't apply to junior parkrun, just the 5k/adult events on a Saturday.

Blatherskite · 07/08/2017 21:59

Happy to answer any questions you may have if it helps :)

TheresTheFlyingFuckIDontGive · 07/08/2017 22:01

OP, in your OP you mention a GPS watch and also a GPS phone? You're not going to make him run round with a phone, surely? And if you mean a watch, not many kids have them as it's not a good way to encourage them (running at that age should be fun), plus I said in a previous post that my GPS watch doesn't allow people to track me, it only shows where I've been once I've finished and pressed 'save'.

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 22:01

Msharry - DH used to come, but can no longer for a number of reasons. I can't go round with DS as I have another DC who is 2 and in the buggy (which I did try to push round! - but there was no way we could keep up with DS and it was a nightmare pushing the buggy over the muddy ground at any kind of pace!)

OP posts:
ElizabethShaw · 07/08/2017 22:01

My 6 year old is out of my sight for more than 6 minutes at a time every time we go to the park.

GreeboIsACutePussPuss · 07/08/2017 22:02

DS isn't 6 but because of his father I had to have a long chat with the marshals about letting him go alone, the one he goes to has lots of marshals around, there's one at every point the kids could leave the park and they make sure that between them they can see the entire route, honestly they are better supervised on parkrun than they are on the school field!

Sparklycurtainpole · 07/08/2017 22:05

Our six year old runs junior park run every Sunday and has done since she was four. Sometimes she runs with dad sometimes does the odd lap by herself but ours is inside an enclosed park (although still open to the public). Marshalling is fabulous and the community spirit and helpfulness of other families is brilliant. I'll be totally happy to let her run completely alone when she wants to. This is in total contrast to a local schools' cross country event which almost sent me into a tailspin as dd age 6 disappeared behind a hedge onto a course no one could see and then popped out again 15 mins later to do the sprint finish. The entire course was out of sight of all spectators in a totally unfamiliar setting. Was trying to be very chilled about it but actually wanted to dash through the hedge like a demented david Bellamy.
Am sure it was well marshalled etc but it was most disconcerting when you didn't expect it!

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 22:06

therestheflying ... its a watch that i can link to my phone so I can watch his route in realtime! ad it has a phone function - so he can press a button on the watch and it calls my phone!

OP posts:
JayneAusten · 07/08/2017 22:08

No, absolutely not. Sorry.

megletthesecond · 07/08/2017 22:08

It's fine. Junior Parkrun has lots of marshalls (I do it every so often). They can run alone from 4yrs iirc.

BertrandRussell · 07/08/2017 22:10

"No, absolutely not. Sorry."

Can you say why not?

tootssweet · 07/08/2017 22:11

Sorry not rtwt but I thought at Junior parkrun the marshals all have to be in sight of the next one so that the children are never out of an adults sight (that's how our local one is set up anyway!)

KidLorneRoll · 07/08/2017 22:11

Can you say why not?

Because they haven't read the thread properly?

A 6 year old at a parkrun will be absolutely fine. It's not 2k through a minefield.

Original poster
user2319978 · 07/08/2017 22:12

Elizabethshaw ... reassuring to know, thanks :)

OP posts:
Blatherskite · 07/08/2017 22:17

My junior parkrun is a 2 lap course so each lap is 1k. Over that 1k, I have a minimum of 10 marshals (13 if I can get them) so that's 1 marshal for every 100 meters.

I've had 230 kids running at our busiest event too!

Wondermoomin · 07/08/2017 22:18

Sorry I've only skimmed the thread so might have missed something but... I think a lot of PPs don't understand the set-up of junior parkrun.

Our town has been in the process of setting one up for months. One of the key things is deciding on the course layout as the children taking part must be in sight of not just one but TWO marshalls at all times. The point is that children CAN run unaccompanied.

I think people don't seem to realise how controlled and safe it is and are commenting with best intentions but from an uninformed place.

Blatherskite · 07/08/2017 22:19

user2319978 could you link to the watch please? junior parkrun I'm comfortable with but my 10 year old now wants to be out playing with his mates more often and that is out of sight!

Boredwithmyname · 07/08/2017 22:21

Depends on the six year old - if he’s happy and sensible then I would. Ime Parkrun is a very friendly and safe event

thepumpk1neater · 07/08/2017 22:21

I wouldn't, too young and I'm pretty relaxed about these things. it's not about being abducted or murdered or some such, that's silly. Can't you take him to an athletics club instead if he likes running? I can't think of anything more casual similar to parkrun, unless you do it yourself.

Kokorunner · 07/08/2017 22:22

Another junior parkrun marshal here, our run has plenty of marshals around the course and I can see the marshals on either side of my position. I can see all the children as they pass the one prior to me at all times and same for the next etc as they move around the course. We all wear a whistle to draw attention if needed and carry a mobile phone. I imagine my children are safer during parkrun than at any other time in the park to be honest as there are 2 of them and one of me I can't watch them both all the time! Speak to the run director who should be able to show you a map with marshal points this might help put you at ease. You could volunteer yourself too if you wanted if you get to know the marshals at your course it might help?

OhDearToby · 07/08/2017 22:22

People, it's junior parkrun! The whole point is that the children can run alone because they are supervised by the marshalls.

Delilah21D00LoT · 07/08/2017 22:23

Apologies, yes I did get the excerpt from the junior parkrun page - but I didn't realise that it linked through to the main rules for Parkrun.

Apologies once again. x

Coffeetasteslikeshit · 07/08/2017 22:24

I'd let mine do it.