Struggling 6-year-old completes marathon with family. Running community outraged
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Organizers of an Ohio marathon and the family of a 6-year-old boy who was allowed to race are receiving heavy criticism from the running community, including some Olympians.
Kami and Ben Crawford, of Bellevue, Kentucky, say their 6-year-old son joined their family of eight in the Flying Pig Marathon, held Sunday, May 1, in Cincinnati. The boy’s inclusion in the 26.2-mile race was allowed despite marathon participants needing to be at least 18 years old.
The family crossed the finish line together at just over 8 hours, 36 minutes. Children in the Crawford family have raced in at least 33 marathons, but it’s the latest one that is drawing complaints.
One social media post by the parents said the boy was “struggling physically” around the 20th mile and needed to sit every three minutes. But the boy was promised two sleeves of Pringles, which the family said helped push him to the finish line.
The parents said the boy was not forced to run, and they did not see signs that he was suffering from heat exhaustion or dehydration.
“Yes there were tears. He had a fall and every single member of our family has cried during marathons,” the Crawfords said. “These experiences were very limited compared to what has been reported and despite the incredible physical and emotional difficulty of running a marathon the amount of his crying is comparable to what we would have experienced had we stayed home on a Sunday morning.”
Many people were wondering why the boy was allowed to compete. Flying Pig Marathon organizers said on Facebook on Tuesday, May 3, that it grants “special accommodations” for some entries.
Lee Troop, an Australian who raced in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, was critical of both the parents and the organizers. He called it “unacceptable” and said the race director should have told the family “No.”
Some of his thoughts were echoed by Kara Goucher, who represented the United States as a distance runner at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
“As an Olympic athlete, I promise you this is not good for the child,” Goucher said. “Children are children. Let them run around, but as the parent you need to protect their growing bodies and their young minds.”
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
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
As the race has faced days of backlash, race director Iris Simpson Bush released a letter in which she “assume(d) full responsibility for the decision,” noting it was not “the best course of action.”
“This decision was not made lightly because the father was determined to do the race with his young child regardless,” Simpson said in the letter, obtained by The Cincinnati Enquirer. “They had done it as bandits in prior years before we had any knowledge and we knew he was likely to do so again.”
Flying Pig will enforce its 18-and-up rules moving forward, the race organizer said.
Race results for the 6-year-old boy have been removed from Flying Pig’s website, according to RunningMagazine.ca.
The Crawford family is no stranger to enduring tough physical challengers together. Ben Crawford authored a book in 2020, telling the story of how the family of eight broke the record “for the largest family... to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.”
