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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is running really a good sport to introduce a young kid? It's hard on the body, my brother ran since middle school, he blew out his knee in college. Also would you want your DD running by herself when she gets older? I wouldn't encourage it, try tennis or swimming instead.[/quote]

Running is a great sport in moderation for kids.  Little kids (younger than 3rd grade) shouldn't do distances much longer than a mile. After  3rd grade, I'd say anything up to a 5k is fine, but nothing longer than that.  You might also want to look at having them train for a fast mile. In middle school, they can join the cross country team or start training with adult running clubs. When the turn 13, they can train up to a 10k. Once they hit high school, longer distances are possible and they can train 20-50 miles a week.

They should have good shoes to run in and learn to warm up beforehand and stretch afterwards. If they say they're tired or hurt, let them stop. Don't push. Try to keep them in other sports. Cross training is good for general fitness and prevents burn outs and injuries.

There is a great article here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-238-267--11817-0,00.html[/quote]

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