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-'�� i <br />aC. �. , i ,„•� <br />u• ; � <br />' — .. -' ����..�����wtA� <br />The fellowin� gum ediarial appea�M in <br />�he Marth 1979 iaue ot Aunnn4 World In <br />it EdwaM O'Connell �tton�Ir mndemna <br />adul� obxvion wi�F agesroup �arord� for <br />��oun6 Nnnen. T�e Wsio ivun niud by <br />O'Conndl are aI mu�x relam� w many <br />aher �hildren'n spaeu in addition arunnine. <br />Prco�dins O•Cmne11S rtmaAu b Run� <br />Wor7d poliay m�emml mmm�in8 � Publi- <br />n�ion d mantlwn aga�oup rt�orde fw <br />Sildm�. 1� �ao appe�N �vnh fie original <br />edim.iai. <br />Rwmer'y Abdd Edi�mial <br />b� P.d�.:ud O'fmm�rll <br />Runner's World will no langer ar�eqt, <br />mainmin or ncord ma�athon agegroup <br />rerords Jor anq mnner undn lhe age oJ <br />72 yeuss o7d. Simi(or7y. RW wil! nal <br />mcou�age /hose runnrn undn [he age <br />oJ 12 to t'ompefr ir. marathons We nre <br />mo trying ro diermrnge rhildrrn )iom <br />running: wr merny fer7 tMf fhry should <br />not be att<mpti. g the rnarathon dis� <br />mnae 6ecause o/ the esneme sH<.ses. <br />menml and physi�a(. il Ptotes on a <br />aung rhild. Ow Jrelings on lhis maF <br />rrr nn expresstd ebly by Edwmd F. <br />O"Conndl in [his guest edilorial. <br />My normal sensr of equilebriwn xas <br />rudely shallered last July by dismrbing <br />news emanaung (rom. of all piaces, <br />Jimction Ciry. l. an. tAe nexspupers had <br />picked up a Un. d Prcss Inama�ional <br />nary exmlling the achieremem o( Bucky <br />Cox of Lewrm<c. Kan. in mmplc�ing <br />�he Swduwn Salum Mamthon in 525:09. <br />Bucky Cox was five years old. <br />I do not know xha� social problems <br />the goad ci�ixens of Junction City are <br />confroming fiese days, but in Massa- <br />chuseus. where I lire. there isjus�ifiable <br />mnmrn at mouming evidena ot an <br />alarming increase in Ihe incidence a( <br />cases of child abuse. t� is my feeling tha� <br />ihe enrouragemem ot young ohildren <br />io run the marathon is poremially n <br />new form ot ehild abuu. <br />Children should he enmu�aR�'�� ��� <br />mn distanaes tha� reflea their aKe. <br />H'ha� rrally gires me pause is ihe <br />knowledge �hul cenain elemems wi�hin <br />our spon are anivelp enrouraging ihr <br />� sptoiwtiun;mdabuu�dinnoremd�ilA� <br />�-tm. 1 refcr, of rourse. to those propir <br />Nrprin:r�l �.i�h �rrm�xi��n hnm Nmmn:� <br />IPn.td Mae:uin.. P.6. @ia 9iii. ninunoiu <br />\ln< C:\ !I IO i! <br />�vho are sn caught up in the mad <br />punuit of �ge-gro�rp recards rha� �heq <br />mntaliie parentsand children bc hnldin,q <br />fonh �hr cenomous plum o( a national <br />rccord (or Ihefull marathon dis�anrr (or <br />toddlers of five years of a€e. <br />Bi�k>' Cns Aroke tFe manthon reronl <br />for ahildren under the aKe of 'siz. Will <br />he. one wondrn, br the firsi o[ his age- <br />group ta assail the remrd (or an ulua� <br />mara�hon or?h-hour runi IF and when <br />�ha� happens. I hope �ha� CPI does noi <br />pick it up. \Iy srnse of ou[rage could <br />no� ioleram ii. <br />�Chatissoironicaboutallthisfollyis <br />the uuer abandun o[ sound prin<iples <br />of long-diswnce vaining and racing. <br />How ohen in recem 7ean hace artides <br />wri[ten by k�owledgeable maches and <br />runners appeared in Xunneis l4orld <br />au�ioning against mnning mara�hons <br />in hot wea�hed Yet here we Aave zn <br />example of a fice-y�ear-old running more <br />ihan ?6 miles on a iorrid 94-degree day. <br />Did anyone s�op to think nf �he pomn� <br />tial Ureut of dehydrn�iun m thary'ouug� <br />ster% <br />.\lu<h meAirnl e�'idence has 6een galh- <br />emi on �hr piimommon o( Li�de IaaRUe <br />:ILow Si:nilarly. tAr iennis el6ow syn- <br />dromr ma7� he more ap� �o plague �he <br />yonngs�er who plays wo c:. vgea �amr <br />�oo raJy in his carrec .4m �vr nou' <br />seeAinq �o brinK ��nh the marnthon <br />musde ur ugegroup atroph�'? <br />1 drfy any compe�rnt anA rcapmsi6lr <br />r<mrh �o rnme torth and ea) Ihat he <br />rem:nmends haein.l':� ircr-�ru'-old run <br />the nurad�on. Rob (I.�mphell. luq� <br />timr chai�m:m of J�: Inn., Dislanm <br />BuuninH (:��mmiun� :uu: nne of Ihc <br />fir.� in �his mmuq �n:u yui�. a repma- <br />linn :n a�'naih nt rmn.¢ 1r�am r nu�� <br />nrra. i'�m:•y�d� �ha� endursn. r.hniJd br <br />Luih up nn::. a:!�: an minal .�uvvi ha�r <br />ha+ Lrrn Jr���lr,md f>..n{rLi4i :rA�u� <br />..�i�. i.. ,.6�.d in, .,n.. � innr.i.rin <br />PaGe 5 <br />diseance work a romplemem rhe speN- <br />irork uf hiGh sthoal hal4milers, milers <br />and t.o�milen. His methods hurr 6ern <br />h�gFl� fu�cessFil in prmlucing mlle- <br />giaie and dub mm�en of exaptianal <br />abiliiy. HoA fiolds fast m t6r belid that <br />18 shnuld be ihe minimum age Lebre <br />one aaempu �he mara�hon. Bucky Coz' <br />pam for his marathonaveraged I?:30 per <br />mile. One ran srriomiq qumion what <br />goad has been acmmplisAed b�� having <br />a hoy svu�ie through at such a pedes- <br />vian patt. Daes this mt pla¢ him on <br />�he road to 6eing a plodder and �re�2r a <br />mnner? <br />Conjure up �he names of the oun <br />standing American mara�hunen of re- <br />reni years. t am sure tl�a� the names of <br />Frnnk Shoner. Bill Rodqers. Ken hloore, <br />Budd+ ldelen. Garq Bjorklund, Don <br />Fudong, Jack Fulu, Je6 Wells. Randy <br />Thomas and Tom Fleming will mme <br />�o mind. All ot them moved up ro �he <br />maratFon disunm only afler [irso dmr4 <br />oping their speed at shorttt disunces in <br />incercollegiarecompetitionAf tLeouo- <br />smnding Amvican runners that I have <br />known. aNy two. CAuck Smead and <br />�oung John Relley. stanM running <br />maraihons at an eady aReand they �vere <br />in �heir late ieens. <br />As I wri�e this, I am cempted m sap <br />wiih absolwe mntidentt that I doub� if <br />�.e shall he reading of the exploits of <br />maraihoner Bucky Cmx ?6 y�ars from <br />no�r. {Chere todag. �night 1 ask, are <br />those �oungsters who were the proud <br />holden of agcgroup remrds as ficr and <br />sis .ear olds in 1963T Wifiom doing <br />anq research, I instinctireiyleel �ha[ the <br />likely answer is lhat they are eitFtt <br />bumedom. mojadMorelseomclasscd <br />on ihe vark anJ rwds 67� their eol- <br />leagues who delayul tht smrt of eheir <br />mnning careen to a morr reawnable <br />age in a morc inmlligme manner. <br />1 am remin<led of the anecdote o( a <br />s�nali huy who mmpeted in a laal 10 <br />mile mad rae. .1tmr tM1e race a reporrer <br />asked him �he inno¢m question. why <br />did he like m run? The lad's laeonie <br />reply x�as: "t ham running. I do it <br />becaus mv faeher maka mC' How far <br />do poei think tha� boy's c�rcer will go1 <br />1 miders�and Foweasp it is (or pareNs <br />to wmwnb �o �he mmpm�ion o( having <br />a ohild �nicipaie in a grcat spnrt like <br />mnning. And when a f'ounecter dis- <br />plays �nc innare a6iliry'. ii can he rep' <br />cemp�ing ro pwh u lad onxard wwaM <br />..swcrss." Our wrirry is nrimteA �o- <br />..ard �.inning a� all Irrcla. 77�e rradp <br />:rcail:ihi litr of Irnphies anA �hrallurrof <br />a.,v-�;roup rernrdn parc d�r way lo te14 <br />un, h,.Gd .. �. . <br />