Letting 6-year-old run Flying Pig Marathon ‘not the best’ decision, race director says
After a barrage of criticism, the director of the Flying Pig Marathon said it was not the best decision to allow a 6-year-old to run the full event and age requirements will be strictly enforced going forward.
Race director, Iris Simpson Bush released an open letter to the community late Wednesday after an Enquirer report outlined controversy surrounding Sunday's race:
"Please allow me to share reasons for the decision to allow a minor to participate in this year’s race.
This decision was not made lightly because the father was determined to do the race with his young child regardless. They had done it as bandits in prior years before we had any knowledge and we knew he was likely to do so again.
The intent was to try to offer protection and support if they were on our course (Medical, Fluids and Replenishment).
Our decision was intended for some amount of safety and protection for the child. The family finished the race after the formal closure of the race course.
I assume full responsibility for the decision and accept that it was not the best course of action. Our requirement of 18+ for participation in the marathon will be strictly observed moving forward."
In the racing community, a "bandit" is a person who competes in a race while not properly registered.
The Crawfords, a family of eight from Bellevue, said they competed in the race with their 6-year-old son. The family has a prominent social media presence and wrote a book about being the largest family to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Runners critical of the decision to let the six-year-old boy run warned that running long distances at a young age can cause injuries and long-term health problems.
The story has caught the attention of Olympic runners, with Kara Goucher and Lee Troop weighing in on Twitter. Both said 6 is too young for a marathon.
Yes, the parents letting, encouraging & dragging their 6 year old through a marathon is bad.
But, it starts with the event & Race Director who should have said “No” from the start. There are reports a 12 year old ran too!
This is unacceptable & needs to be reviewed. https://t.co/TJsnSNPkk9— Lee Troop 🇦🇺 (@runtroopy) May 5, 2022
I don't know who needs to hear this but a six year old cannot fathom what a marathon will do to them physically. A six year old does not understand what embracing misery is. A six year who is "struggling physically" does not realize they have the right to stop and should.
— Kara Goucher (@karagoucher) May 4, 2022
Ben Crawford, the father of the 6-year-old, also issued a statement in response to the hundreds of social media comments criticizing his decision.
He said all of his children have run in marathons and other races for years. In social media posts, the family has said their children have competed unofficially in the Flying Pig before. Their oldest son is now 20.
He said none of their children is forced to run and their 6-year-old was only allowed to attempt the marathon because he "begged" to join the rest of his family.
Ben Crawford said he and his wife "gave him a 50/50 chance of completing it and were ready to pull the plug at any moment if he requested it or if we viewed his safety at risk. We asked him numerous times if he wanted to stop and he was VERY clear that his preference was to continue."
"We did not see any sign of heat exhaustion or dehydration and honored his request to keep on going," he said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Letting 6-year-old run Flying Pig Marathon ‘not the best’ decision