CINCINNATI — The Flying Pig Marathon has become the center of attention in Cincinnati after getting backlash on social media that a 6-year-old boy ran the full marathon.
Now, the parents of the child said that Child Protective Services visited their home and they took to social media to respond.
“On Friday, social workers came to our house and interviewed our children because leaders in the running community are calling running and children wrong,” the family posted on social media.
The Flying Pig’s website said marathon participants must be 18 years old as of race day. So, when a post began circulating on social media of the boy running the May first marathon, people began asking questions.
A family of eight, completed the full Flying Pig Marathon together in eight hours and 35 seconds, according to the father’s social media post. In that post, the father said his 6-year-old son made it to mile 20 after seven hours. He said he was struggling physically, crying, and kept wanting to sit down.
>> Could sunscreen products containing benzene do more harm than good? Local doctor weighs in
“They are stating that children running is abusive and not providing any data or facts,” the family said in the post. “The reports and stance are false. Hundreds of witnesses including police officers and hours of video footage corroborate.”
Our news partners at WCPO-TV spoke to a pediatrician about what levels of exercise is safe for young children.
“So, there are certain limitations on certain activities because they can affect growth. They’re a little bit higher risk for certain types of injuries. So, there are certain activities that we always want to limit,” said Dr. Christopher Boilings.
He said weightlifting and resistance training are some of the activities he recommends limiting for kids under 13.
And, while running is typically okay for young children, “a marathon certainly sounds like a lot to do for a 6-year-old and not something that we usually recommend,” said Boilings.
>> Rising diesel fuel prices impacting truck drivers, companies
Other children in the family ran the race in previous years, but unofficially. But the father said the director of the race, Iris Bush, helped them all officially register this year. He said she told them not to worry about a doctor’s visit because they seemed prepared.
A spokesperson for Flying Pig Marathon declined to talk on camera to WCPO-TV or answer any question, provided the following statement:
“Flying Pig Marathon officials have known about the Crawford family for years and their participating in the full marathon. In talking with the family before this year’s race, it was clear that they would participate whether or not they were officially registered. For the safety of their family, we felt it was important that they were officially registered so they would receive course support as needed.”
The family said in the post their children are having “emotional breakdowns” not from running but “from a mob that has been weaponized by runnings most accomplished and celebrated individuals.”
The family has a link on social media to a Google document where they provide answers to what they claim are frequently asked questions about their children running The Flying Pig Marathon.
©2022 Cox Media Group
