what age?

Are you planning to run a marathon with her or jog lightly round the block?

Sorry nothing at all constuctive to add, but as a Tractor Girl:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pause for breath...

hahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaha.....

I've got something to add.....

Canary - my kids started with a one mile fun run that was attached to a 10K I was doing in Liverpool. As they were 6 and 8 at the time (and I thought a mile was quite a long way for a 6 year old) I bought flora margarine to get the free little running bottles they were giving away to celebrate the marathon and said "right - these are YOUR bottles and we're going to train"

I bought them some decent trainers (you'll struggle if her feet are below a size 1) and we plodded on out, at their pace, for about half a mile. One of them would've given Usain Bolt a run for his money and the other one whinged about stitches within 100 yards! But we persevered. I only took them out when they wanted to go, and we got up to a mile fairly quickly. On the day before the race they insisted on pasta for tea (to "carb up")  and we took some jelly babies (for the huge glycogen depletion they would inevitably suffer) 

Race day arrived and they treated it like the Olympic 1500m final. I was standing close to the finish line, when, from around the corner came eldest Miss LB (whinger with the stitch) like something out of Chariots of Fire!!!! She was NOT going to be beaten by her little sister! Two seconds behind was youngest Miss LB, busting her lungs out. They did amazingly well and fell over the finish line in tears.

Both Mr LB and I are runners. They've been to the expos and the marathons. They know about preparation and they wanted a go. It's like nicking your mother's make up because you've seen her putting mascara on. What I really wanted to say in telling you all this is that your daughter wants to do it because she's copying YOU and it's a damn sight better than pretending to smoke!

Let her come with you, but find her a little "race" so she can train too. Explain to her when you need to go further that your distances are different, so she can't come on your 10 mile LSR, but you'll train with her tomorrow / Monday /whenever.

Above all make it FUN. Nobody wants a crying 7 year old with shin splints. Keep the distances low.

I agree too.  Let her run if she wants to. 

My daughter and I regularly do the parkrun 5k on a Saturday morning.  She is 8 and used to come and marshall at the event while I ran, but decided she wanted to do it too.  She has improved so much and really enjoys it.  The whole thing has been great for her.  She used to give up in races at school where she knew she couldn't win, but now is quite happy to run her best the whole way.  I bought her some proper running trainers and some decent kit when she had done a few of them.  It has also been good for her in lots of other ways because she sees people going back to help others and running with them to help them get better times and she now does this as well.  And I got a great race report from the London Marathon which she watched and I couldn't because I was racing .

Finding a form of exercise children are motivated to do is brilliant. 

Oh what a lovely idea LB, will make him one for my next race

Cinders, when Mr LB did his first marathon in New York in 2004, I took youngest Miss LB to Manchester airport to collect him off his flight. We'd made a sign like the taxi drivers hold up in arrivals, but ours said "daddy" on it in big letters. In smaller writing all around it we'd actually put "my DADDY ran the New York City Marathon"!!!!

When he came through all these random strangers gave him a big clap because this tiny girl was holding her card, proud as can be......

my 4yo daughter has just completed her first 1mile fun run today,   she finished last by a long way (just as the next age group up was about to start) but was absolutely delighted.  

 She was in plaster this time last year,  with metalwork in her legs,  after a number of operations and when she came along to watch me do the adult race she said that she would do it this year.  Despite saying during the week that she didn't want to do the run I had to prise the medal and t-shirt off her for bedtime!  

If your daughter wants to run encourage her to do so and find her something to work towards,  it's a great thing to see,  I was more pleased with her performance today than any of the races I've completed this year.

LB, bet Mr LB welled up when he saw that sign.

Well done to your daughter Jaffa, that's a fantastic achievement for her

He did Cinders! He was also bemused by all the applause and looked behind him for the celebrity!

Jaffa - in my experience those who come last get the biggest cheer for sticking with it and her determination to complete the distance at such a young age and after all she's been through shows just what a special little lady she is!

But be warned - she's showing signs of being strong willed at four - God help you when she's a teenager!

After yesterday's nightmare with your club, Canary, you need a dream!

I see so many kids who sit on their arses these days, it's great yours wants to get out there and have a go. Just remember she's growing though and hold off booking the Marathon de Sables for the moment!

the only point I would make is try and make the running off road,,,,,,,,,,,,,,tarmac is not a good surface and too much running on it at a young age may well damage the growth plates..............and give them knee problems 

so yes if they want to run let them run ...............but also remember they pain systems are also imature and they might not recognise the niggles................

but keep to the parks and the mountains and they should be fine.