When is it too young to race long distance triathlons?

This past weekend, 12-year-old Jared Clark from Bellaire, Texas, finished a half iron long distance triathlon race in honour of his twin brother.

His brother Justin has a rare gene disorder called Giant Axonal Neuropathy, and approximately 50-70 kids in the world has this disease.

Jared used the race to raise awareness for GANs, with all donations going to Hannah’s Hope Fund, a non-profit organization established to fight GANs.

Jared completed the Oil Man Texas Triathlon with a final time of 8:18:05. He swam 42:21, biked 4:24:59, and ran 2:58:17. He wants to attempt a full iron distance race before he turns 16!

Justin certainly accomplished a great feat and for a great cause (he’s raised over $19 000), but is this way too early for someone his age to race long distance triathlons? He was not the first and will probably not be the last but where should we draw the line?

Keep in mind that Jared started racing triathlons at age nine, runs cross country, and swims year-round with the USA Swimming Team at Rice University.

Let us know your thoughts here or on our Facebook page.