Dear Editor Carol,

I'm interested in learning at what age a child should run/train to run a mile. There is a Fourth of July race in my home town that has a one mile kid's run. He will turn four in a couple months. He literally runs around our home doing laps and seems to love it (as long as we are watching and count his laps with him!). I'm a runner myself, but don't want to push him. I'd really appreciate help with the following questions:

When can kids safely start to run longer (ie: mile) distances?
How do you know if they're over-exerting?
Recommended shoes?
Any tips for a father who wants to encourage appropriately - my wife is afraid I'm pushing him if he runs short distances with me at his age... Thanks in advance for your input. It is greatly appreciated-

Dear Fred,

This is a good question. My first graders (6 - 7 year olds) train for a mile class fun run for the end of first grade. I teach them to pace themselves and to look at it as a finish. They are all successful with it, except for the couple of kids who go out too fast despite their training. "Little Sisters", from our annual class Run, Spot, Run!

Run, Spot, Run! actually is a family fun run. The kids bring along their siblings, parents, grandparents, etc. Some of the very little ones (maybe 4 years old or so) run along with their parents.

Here's my suggestion for you...if you really want your little one to do this. Think of it as an experience. Start in the back of the pack. Run with him. Pick him up and carry him part way if need be. Take walking breaks. Make sure to go with him. He's too little to do a mile on his own under any circumstances. Races often provide 25 - 100m fun runs for preschoolers, but in this mile fun run there will be lots of older kids. Some will even be running it as a race.

Please don't even consider serious training for a 4 year old. Let him run with you for little stretches sometimes, but he is too young to train. Keep it fun. Encourage him run, but don't discourage him from taking walking breaks.

As for running shoes, just a good pair of sneakers will do. He's too young for you to be analyzing about his 'bio-mechanics/running shoe' fit, unless the doctor has already identified structural problems with his feet.

Your son will most probably let you know when he's over-exerting. He'll just stop running until he regroups and decides to take off again.

Good luck! You may want to get him started in one of our programs. He can start the Log-a Mile (you can adapt his chart so that each footprint equal 100m...he'll just have to fill out a few more charts to reach that 25 mile goal) or our Run the Seasons program (my class loves this program).

Best of luck! Don't push him, just encourage him and most importantly HAVE FUN with him.

Do you have a young child that is entering a fun run? If you do, please share your story with the visitors of KidsRunning.Com.

Do you have any questions about a child's running program? Feel free to email the kid's editor at carol.kids@rodale.com.