My 10 year old daughter is interested in running. I am not sure what an appropriate training program would look like for her age. She is very fit and does gymnastics, but I don't want to expect too much. we are planning on training for the Nike 5k race in Boston on 5/31. is a 5k race in 6 weeks for a 10 year old too much? what would an appropriate training program look like?

Mick Grant & John Molvar

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When beginning her running program, make sure her doctor approves it. Also, be sure to have nice light, cushioned, flexible running shoes.

Start by finding out how much running she enjoys and can do comfortably, up to 2 miles. Little by little, she can do more. If she can only run 1/2 mile at first, that's ok. Developing as a runner is a long term process, so six weeks is not much time.

There is a big difference between training to race a 5k and training to complete a 5k. If she is training to complete a 5k, she can probably do fine. I definitely wouldn't recommend training to race it.

The short answer is start by running a little. Run 3 or 4 times per week at first and gradually add on. Have fun