The young boy started the race with his father but pushed on at the 9.5 mile mark and then waited for both parents at the finish line. He finished 71st out of 2073 runners and was the fastest of the 18 competitors in the 19-and-under age group by more than two minutes.
He started running at age seven as his father was taking part in races. By the time he was eight, Noah was asking his parents if he could run longer races. Although the minimum age for running the Wisconsin Half Marathon in their hometown was 14, his parents got in touch with race director in 2012 to describe Noah’s training and past racing experience. After consulting the race’s medical director granted Noah an exception.
The boys father Jeff Bliss said that some voiced their concerns about Noah’s health, but they were not deterred. The father said....“From everything we read…and talking to his doctor and the medical director for the race, we weren’t concerned as parents. Studies had shown that there was no concern. His interest in running seemed very unique for an eight-year-old, so if he wanted to be a part of it…I wanted him to experience it.” For the first half-marathon in 2012 aged eight, he finished in 2:09:02.
His father estimates that Noah averages about 15-20 miles of running per week while training for a half marathon. He does some of his training with his father, and some of it solo.
It should be pointed out that it is generally considered a bad idea for young children to do a lot of running on roads as the bones in their bodies are still developing. Here are the guidelines from Athletics Ireland....“Athletes must be 18 years of age to compete in events of 10,000m and over. The recommended age groups for juveniles are: Up to U11 – 1 mile: 12 – 13 2k: 14-15 3k: 16 – 18 5k“.
Info from the IAAF...(Oct 2012)
1. Endurance Training (long distance running)
The recommended maximum competition distances for children of various ages are shown below. The weekly training distance should not be more than twice the recommended maximum competition distance. Runs or races up to 10 km in length can be undertaken on a weekly basis for children aged 12–14; runs or races over 10 km in length require longer recovery periods. Training frequency for those up to 14 years old should not exceed 3 times per week. Those aged 15–18 can train up to 5 times per week.
Recommended maximum running distance at different ages.
Under 9...3 km
9–11...5 km
12–14...10 km
15–16...Half-marathon (21.1 kms)
17...30 km
18...Marathon (42.2 kms)
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