CINCINNATI, Ohio - An Ohio couple are defending themselves after facing extreme backlash for running a marathon with their 6-year-old son.Kami and Ben Crawford have six kids and chronicle their adventures on YouTube and social media pages.
When the Crawfords ran the Flying Pig marathon in Cincinnati on May 1, it was the first time all eight family members ran a 26.2-mile race together, including their 6-year-old son.Runners reportedly started asking questions when they saw the child crying during the race.
The marathon requires runners to be at least 18 years old, according to WJW.The uproar that followed online was swift.Two days later, the family posted a lengthy response on their Facebook and Instagram pages."We have never forced any of our children to run a marathon and we cannot even imagine that as feasible practically or emotionally," the Crawfords said. "We have given all of our kids the option for every race."The Crawfords said their son Rainer "begged" to join them for the marathon this year, and they were "ready to pull the plug" if he asked or thought his safety was at risk."We asked him numerous times if he wanted to stop and he was VERY clear that his preference was to continue.," they said. "We did not see any sign of heat exhaustion or dehydration and honored his request to keep on going.
We go to great lengths to prioritize our kids' health."Yes there were tears," the Crawfords continued. "He had a fall and every single member of our family has cried during marathons.