@/TW: Parents under fire for their 6yo running a marathon

[Velar Fricative]

WTF. Just...WTF.

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/05/06/flying-pig-marathon-child/

[dancingirl21]

….but he wanted to!

Omg. Not a good decision by anyone involved.

[pixy0stix]

I said this on FB - the parents are fame chasers. They're convincing their kids that they want to do these things, and then using the justification, "but they want to do it!" Well of course, because that's what you told them!

[icedcoffee]

I was JUST coming here to post this!!! I'm so glad you did. I was thinking of GBCN when I saw this on GMA this morning.

Those parents are abusers through and through. When the kid was talking it was clear. There were images of the older kids and they look like they are living through hell. They were YAWNING on national television.

Those parents should be locked up.

This will not be the last we hear about these monsters. Mark my words this is not the worst of what they do to those kids.

Most of this is based on hunch, but those kids looked like they have been through much more than just this.

[Velar Fricative]

I go back and forth about the race organizers' reasoning. I understand wanting to use their support resources along the course to keep the child safe. I'm sure there are liability laws and other legalities involved in a decision like this, so I won't pretend it was an easy one. OTOH, it's the parents who are putting this kid in a harmful situation. I would have had law enforcement pull these parents aside and be like "Don't even think about racing on this course." And if they did, would that then be considered trespassing and they could be arrested (the parents, not the kids)?

And just like I said on FB...of course they're known race bandits. Of course.

[Velar Fricative]

May 6, 2022 9:40:46 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I was JUST coming here to post this!!! I'm so glad you did. I was thinking of GBCN when I saw this on GMA this morning.

Those parents are abusers through and through. When the kid was talking it was clear. There were images of the older kids and they look like they are living through hell. They were YAWNING on national television.

Those parents should be locked up.

This will not be the last we hear about these monsters. Mark my words this is not the worst of what they do to those kids.

Most of this is based on hunch, but those kids looked like they have been through much more than just this.

Wait they were interviewed on GMA?? I'll need to watch.

[icedcoffee]

May 6, 2022 9:43:39 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

May 6, 2022 9:40:46 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I was JUST coming here to post this!!! I'm so glad you did. I was thinking of GBCN when I saw this on GMA this morning.

Those parents are abusers through and through. When the kid was talking it was clear. There were images of the older kids and they look like they are living through hell. They were YAWNING on national television.

Those parents should be locked up.

This will not be the last we hear about these monsters. Mark my words this is not the worst of what they do to those kids.

Most of this is based on hunch, but those kids looked like they have been through much more than just this.

Wait they were interviewed on GMA?? I'll need to watch.

www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/parents-face-backlash-year-allowed-run-full-marathon-84541964

[Velar Fricative]

May 6, 2022 9:45:27 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

May 6, 2022 9:43:39 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Wait they were interviewed on GMA?? I'll need to watch.

www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/parents-face-backlash-year-allowed-run-full-marathon-84541964

Damn. Instead of cowering from the publicity, they seem to relish it. Fuck them.

[icedcoffee]

May 6, 2022 9:46:59 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

May 6, 2022 9:45:27 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/parents-face-backlash-year-allowed-run-full-marathon-84541964

Damn. Instead of cowering from the publicity, they seem to relish it. Fuck them.

They're doing it all for publicity.  It's sick.  They have a book about climbing the Appalachian trail together.

[sonrisa]

May 6, 2022 9:43:11 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I go back and forth about the race organizers' reasoning. I understand wanting to use their support resources along the course to keep the child safe. 

But they didn't. If they were using their resources to keep the child safe, someone would have approached them way back when the child started sitting every 3 minutes and had security escort him off the race to the medical tent. There would have been someone at mile 20 to check on him instead of an empty table. So I call bullshit on their statement.

[eddy]

Of COURSE they maintain a youtube channel. What a bunch of fucking assholes.

Also that little guy looks so young in that photo. Honestly it broke my heart to even look at him.

[rupertpenny]

That poor baby 

[cattledogkisses]

This is the same family that made their young kids hike the Appalachian Trail. It's all for Youtube content/fame chasing. They're awful.

[bee20]

It's awful, but this isn't the first time they've had a 6 year old run a marathon, their youtube channel has one from 4 years ago of one of their daughters: www.youtube.com/watch?v=44v1JV-OSJY  At the end of the video the daughter is checked by the race doctor and declared fine.  They mention in passing that this is her first time seeing a doctor. 

I'm sure they're baffled as to why it was a problem this time when they have been doing this for years. You can see in the video she wanted to stop halfway and many members of the family say they want to stop. They finished in 6.5 hours that time so may not have had the same weather/course safety issues, but I'm confused as to why this isn't in any of the articles about them doing it again with their son.

This family has been infamous in hiking circles because when they did the AT they were relying incredibly heavily on giveaways and handouts and ticked a lot of people off.  The daughter marathon video was pointed to as further evidence of fame-seeking.

Editing again from the outrage in hiking groups...the father took one of his tween/teen daughters for a "daddy and me" trip to Nicaragua after calling her "hard to love" in a previous video.  While there they shared a bed despite having 2 in the room and then instead of getting a taxi to the airport they walked there, starting at 3am, when it was a 40 minute drive.  So yeah, the crazy in this family runs deep and hopefully the kids get out of it as they get older. 

[gt7301b]

These people are fucking bonkers.  I've run marathons and know what it feels like the next day, I can't imagine making my child to run a marathon.  It is incredibly responsible for this family to be out there on so many levels.

The race organizers should not have let enter the race and they certainly should have followed through with the info on the website that says the cutoff is 16 min mile (or 7 hrs).  If the family completes the course after the course is opened back up not a lot they can do, but the race organizers shouldn't be encouraging this behavior.

[mrshandy]

Ugh...disgusting all around. There are some crazy ones out there. I volunteered for a 100-mile race last year and met an 11-year old who had run a 50K which is good I guess? IDK. I'm a crazy person who runs double marathons but none of my kids have run more than a 10K.

I did a small marathon years ago and was running with a 7=year old who was doing the half marathon. She was running with a few adults who kept pushing her to keep up the pace. I was a little surprised! She finished her race with a good time. Afterwards I learned that she was trying to set a world record for fastest half marathon by a 7-year old. She got the record. I wonder if she's burned out yet. I think that is a big problem with starting kids that young.

[pinkyp]

I had no idea "race bandits" were a thing. Is it strictly so they don't have to pay the registration fee? Besides the obvious issue of the kid not being old enough per the race rules.

I feel so badly for those kids. Like previous posters mentioned, this is likely the tip of the iceberg of what they've endured over the years.

[secretagent]

As someone who has (fairly unathletically) run several marathons AND has a 6 year old, I am HORRIFIED by this. His poor little body. Of course he wanted to take a break every 3 minutes. He was on his feet for 8 hours. WTF. 

[minzy]

The only way I can see pushing a kid that young that hard for that long is if they are fleeing a life and death situation, like a refugee on foot from a war-torn city where it’s not possible for the parent to help carry them. This was obviously not that. They’re lucky his kidneys didn’t shut down, or worse.

[Aloe Vera]

I don't understand how a minor that young could be entered into this race. I see they already have age restrictions on other races. The organizers should cancel his registration.
Off to see the video.

[mrsslocombe]

May 6, 2022 11:02:08 GMT -5 pinkyp said:

I had no idea "race bandits" were a thing. Is it strictly so they don't have to pay the registration fee? Besides the obvious issue of the kid not being old enough per the race rules.

I feel so badly for those kids. Like previous posters mentioned, this is likely the tip of the iceberg of what they've endured over the years.

There's a long "tradition" of banditing races-Boston being the most common one. There's a whole culture around it. A lot of it is avoiding race fees and feeling like you are "sticking it to the man" because races have become so corporate. It's dumb. It's a very controversial issue in running circles. 

The race director should be fired. Not only did she know this family were repeat bandits, she's given them medals in the past (after they bandited) AND gave them free entry this year. They should have just pulled them off the course the second that they appeared with an underage participant and banned the family the parents for life (races do life bans all the time). 

My running group is horrified by this whole situation. Quite a few people do Flying Pig but they are all avoiding this race in the future if the race director doesn't resign or get fired. 

[proximacentauri]

The running subreddit is talking about this quite a bit.

To safely run a marathon, you should really need years of a good running base. And once you make the decision, months of steady, progressive training plan where you are running 10+ mile runs for a few months. The most the kid had ever run is 13.

They are basically using the kid as a child actor in their personal series. Sadly, the kid has no labor laws for protection like child actors do.

[Velar Fricative]

I appreciate everyone who has more info re: the parents and the race organizers' history with these parents. Now I'm firmly in Team Fuck Everyone Except The Kid.

[underwaterrhymes]

May 6, 2022 11:02:08 GMT -5 pinkyp said:

I had no idea "race bandits" were a thing. Is it strictly so they don't have to pay the registration fee? Besides the obvious issue of the kid not being old enough per the race rules.

I feel so badly for those kids. Like previous posters mentioned, this is likely the tip of the iceberg of what they've endured over the years.

This family sucks for a lot of reasons and being a race bandit is among them.

Usually people bandit a race because there is a lottery to get in and they didn’t make it, because they don’t want to fundraise, or because they spontaneously decided to jump in. It steals resources from people who paid to participate, which is ignorant at best and often outright dangerous.

The only time I supported banditing is when they excluded women from participating in marathons and that was the only way they could participate.

I’ve completed 7 marathons and cannot imagine my 6-year old running one. It’s absolutely abusive and I hope they face repercussions.

[Velar Fricative]

Since this family is full of fame whores, the people who subscribe to their YouTube Channel are also assholes.

And just to make this CEP, they're from Kentucky and I feel confident that they voted for KY's asshole senators.

[scm1011]

May 6, 2022 10:46:03 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

I did a small marathon years ago and was running with a 7=year old who was doing the half marathon. She was running with a few adults who kept pushing her to keep up the pace. I was a little surprised! She finished her race with a good time. Afterwards I learned that she was trying to set a world record for fastest half marathon by a 7-year old. She got the record. I wonder if she's burned out yet. I think that is a big problem with starting kids that young.

DH and I ran a half marathon 2 weeks ago and there was a mom running with her maybe 8 year old. I passed them early in the race (mile 3?) and he was sobbing and telling his mom he wanted to stop and she was yelling at him "I don't want to hear it! START RUNNING!". It was AWFUL.

I was telling DH at the finish and he was like "OMG I saw them at about mile 8 and it was the same story". 

I eventually saw them both cross the finish line and the kid was still crying. I wanted to give him a big hug and punch his stupid mom.

[eponinepontmercy]

I felt bad enough when DD was 5 or 6 and wanted to do a 5k with me. We walked the whole thing (DH signed up, too), and she was miserable. Nothing was wrong - she was just tired and bored and regretting her choices.

If she had actually been crying from pain? For 8 hours? How can a parent do that?

[AJL]

This is horrible. I've run one half-marathon and I thought I was going to puke and then pass out before I ever crossed the finish line. I can't every imagine pushing my SIX YEAR OLD to run a marathon. Fuck these parents.

[sent]

May 6, 2022 12:27:05 GMT -5 eponinepontmercy said:

How can a parent do that?

I would bet 1 million GBCN dollars that these are the kind of adults who feel no empathy when they see others in pain, even if it's their own children.

How has someone not called CPS on these parents already?

I can't bring myself to click on the link.

[foundmylazybum]

People do this kind of thing often. This is from 2012.
www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/sports/too-fast-too-soon-young-endurance-runners-draw-cheers-and-concerns.html

FWIW, these two went on toe run in college and do duathlon/triathlon but any time a child is saying (crying) they want to stop, you should just let them. Especially at such young, developmental ages, it's fine. Like really, it's fine. Athletics should literally just be about fun, friendship and skill building at age 6. This is over the top.