Hawaii wants to Ban Kids from Running Long Distance Races

Legislators proposed restricting marathons and half marathons to those older than 18, claiming that running damages kids' bones and joints. Science doesn't agree. the legislation cites this 2010 study in the Journal of Athletic Training that had 11 boys and seven girls running on treadmills. During tests, researchers found that children were less able than adults to absorb shock impact while running. Hawaii’s bill seems more likely to hinder young aspiring runners than help them. Some marathons already have a minimum age requirement, presumably due to liability. The Boston Marathon requires registrants to be older than 18; at the Los Angeles Marathon, it’s 16. There’s just one problem: There’s little evidence that running long races is bad for kids’ health.

posted Saturday February 10th