Experts dispute claims of a running boom among children

Organisers say 3,865 pupils took part in the first school run at the Munich Marathon, but children’s sports experts warn that the event does not show a broader running boom. BR reported that the pupils came from 53 schools in Munich and the surrounding area.

About half of the participants were primary school pupils. They ran one or three kilometres through the Olympic Park. Fabian Schäfer, managing director of event organiser Laufstatt Event gGmbH, said the turnout exceeded expectations. The organisers said the new event aims to encourage children to run and be active.

The Bavarian Athletics Association says more children are joining clubs and taking part in competitions. Its head, Peter Kapustin, said the association had 69,000 child and youth members this year, up from 57,500 four years ago. He said children had been keen to move more since the coronavirus pandemic and pointed to a Bavarian sports law intended to strengthen activity in schools and childcare centres.

The association’s “Lauf dich fit!” project has involved nearly 800,000 children and young people since 2015, according to the association. It challenges pupils to run for 15, 30 or 45 minutes without walking. More than 100,000 children across Bavaria took part this year, and the association said 20,000 had already registered for the next school year.

Thorsten Schulz, a sports biologist at the Technical University of Munich’s Department of Preventive Paediatrics, said he could not identify a running boom. He said children’s endurance and physical performance had declined in recent years, while the number of children with average levels of sporting activity had fallen.

Schulz said children’s participation in sport depends heavily on their parents. Running can help develop motor skills, coordination and endurance when children are motivated and enjoy it. Competitions can encourage children to set and reach goals and help them manage stress, he said, but may also create excessive pressure. Parents and coaches should avoid pushing children too hard, he warned, as intensive sport at a young age can increase injury risks and affect the body’s development.