Even with limited chances to compete during the past year’s quarantine, young runners have given us a lot to cheer for. Already this year, Hobbs Kessler, at 17 years old, set a new high school boys’ indoor mile record of 3:57.66, and last fall 16-year-old Jenna Hutchins became the first high school girl ever to break 16 minutes in a cross-country 5K.
Perhaps brightest of all, 18-year-old Athing Mu, a freshman at Texas A&M, ran an astounding 1:58.4 in the indoor 800 meters. That’s not only an NCAA record, it ranks her amongst the fastest women in the world. As she rounds the track far ahead of her competitors, it’s hard not to skip straight to the future— how much faster can she go?
These teens are at the highest level in the sport, but they share a circumstance with many other young runners. After a breakthrough race, excited by their own talent and eager to explore their potential, it can be hard for them to imagine a future beyond the next race.
This is a moment when it’s especially important for a young athlete to have a support network that prioritizes their long-term success and wellness. To both support and protect a young runner is a big task, and they can benefit from thoughtful consideration by parents, coaches, and even fans—when does encouragement turn to expectation? When does excitement turn to pressure or hard work to compulsion? Is it possible to run fast now, and still find running rewarding for the rest of their lives?
Pay attention to small changes
One of the most important elements in guiding an athlete is to note small emotional shifts. “If something seems off—it doesn’t have to be the extreme—any shift in the overall mood or the way they’re approaching the sport can be an indication of larger issues,” says Magin Day, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology and a former Division I NCAA runner.
This story is from the Issue 3, 2021 edition of Runner's World.
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This story is from the Issue 3, 2021 edition of Runner's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.
RUNNING WITH HANK
How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
