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University Daily Kansan, June 26.1980
Young marathoner ignores disputes and runs on
By VANCE HINER
Staff Reporter
Seven-year-old Buckminster Cox rolled out of bed at 5:30 Saturday morning. He knew that his usual breakfast of pancakes and syrup would be waiting for him. But first he had to run.
After three and a half hours of pounding his feet against the Lawrence asphalt, his 20-mile run was over. He could return to the things that seven-year-olds do—playing with his toy cars and trucks.
"I just finished a 50-mile marathon in Wyoming," Bucky said of the world record he set last week for his age. He had completed a 1400 miles and then a 24-hour marathon.
SINCE BUCKY WAS five he has been breaking every existing age group marathon record. But no more than 20 children his age compete in the 26-mile, 385-yard races that few adults would even attempt.
Although Burcky's mother, Joan Maxwell, and his stepfather, Ray Foster, 1121 Vermont, train him and are proud of his accomplishments, he wrote in the center of a dispute that began when he was barred from the 1979 KU Marathon.
Articles about Bucky have appeared in magazines such as People and Sports magazine, the Washington World that criticized Bucky's marathon competition was accompanied by the magazine's policy statement against allowing children under 12 to commute.
BOB TIMMONS, head KU track coach, said he kept BUC out of last year's marathon because he thought marathons could be physically and
psychologically detrimental to children.
"I asked myself how a 6-year-old could tell his coach or parents he's not going to run." Timmons said of his decision. "I know I'm not an expert, but before I allow this I've got to see some research done. It could be dangerous."
Bucky's stepfather, a research associate for the Bureau of Child Research, said that no research had been done that indicated physical or psychological injury to children who participate in long distance running.
"A computer search has been done and no information has turned up that supports the criticism." Foster said. "Besides a couple of small blisters, Bucky has had no injuries whatsoever from running."
CHILDREN SHOULD BE watched closely when they run, Foster said, and caution should prevent any serious injury.
"I think that anytime there is any indication that a kid is hurting or being forced to run, he should be immediately disqualified from the race." Foster says kids from the nation nursing. That's like throwing the baby out with the bath water."
Carl Inserillo, Lawrence physician,
saw Bucky as a patient two years ago
and said that at the time he was in
excellent condition.
"As long as he's not having physical injuries it is ours," Inserillo said. "The only problem some doctors see is the risk of getting burns from long distances on hard surfaces."
Timmons said he was concerned about Bucky's reasons for running.
"When you're striving for physical and psychological limits, it's necessary
Bucky said he ran because, "it's fun."
to have the maturity to make your own decisions," Timmons said.
"I want to be in the Olympics," he said.
WHEN PEOPLE visit Bucky for the first time, he always shows them his trophies. There are dozens.
"This big one is what I got in the Jayhawk jog," Bucky said with a smile as he held up a large silver trophy.
KU is Bucky's favorite university and he hopes one day to be on the track team. But trophies and ribbons are not the only things that have inspired him. When he runs smoothly and without complaint, he gets a nickel from his parents.
"What we've done is to set up a token economy," Foster said. "Normally, when children do something they want it Right?" He says he knows when he's doing something right.
"Instead of just doing it a little bit, we put our money where our mouths are."
BUCKY IS NOT allowed to spend the nicks at stores or with friends. In the kitchen at home there is a shelf with toys and objects Bucky has told his parents he wants. When he has saved mother and bargains for one of the toys.
"I've got 328 nickels now," Bucky said as he played with the army truck he recently bought. "I used to have 500."
Foster said Bucky also received nickels for being good.
"Actually, that is what psychologists call assertiveness training." Foster uses it to ease office and cleaning up his room. They are really short-range reinforcers.
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Bucky Cox admires the trophy he won during the recent Jayhawk Jog, which was held in Lawrence.
"WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE?"
Psalms 2:1 and Acts 4:25
We suggest two ways effort might be made to stop these extreme ads: One is that you face squarely their contents, refuting and showing where they are wrong and in error. Flip the switch in a dark room, and instantly the ads become dark and darkness. "The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lion tongue is for it a moment." — Prov. 12:19.
There are some who are offended because this column calls attention to these Truths from God's Book, "What churchman should not do?" Churchman, sending one of his own church ads that cries Peace, Peace, but takes no notice of the evil all around about to swamp us! "Extreme conditions" require "Ex-treme conditions" that is loose with a net made to catch "butter-lux."
If there be untruth and lies in these articles you will do us and the public a noble service to expose them. Surely you are not in favor of doing away with freedom of speech and the right to express your opinion and authoritative reasons given for the opinions expressed. To silence one by force instead of debate and argument would be oppression! God's Word says: "Surely oppression makes a wise man mad!" Ecclesi. 7. Hope you have the assumption, or presumption, that you are a wise man?
in our day and century has not God laughed at, held in dersion, spoken in His wrist, and poured contempt upon many a king, prince, or rule? What about the late Czar and Stalin of Russia, the late Kaiser and Hitler of Germany, the former German dictator has not most of the nations, including our own, to drink of "the wine杯 of His wrist and indignation?"
"The heathen rage against God, and His King, seeking to overthrow their Kingdom by doing away with its Laws and Commandments. No kingdom or government can endure them. But God's Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom that shall not pass away, and men and devils who rage against it will suffer no red iron, and dashed in pieces like a potters' vessel."
The other suggestion as to what to do to get these extra adms stopped, is that you pray and call on your god for help. We are praying and calling on our God for help. We think your god and curs is not the same! In the 16th chapter of 1st Kings there is the account of the testing of your god with another god, and we will still sit to Elijah's God!
Christ speaking in Luke 12:4, 5 says: "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid that they can take the body, and put it on me, but that they can forewear you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after them will hath power to cast into hell; ye, I say unto you, Fear Him."
Another letter has come bitterly attacking this scribe for cowardice, and other "little things" that are not likely to harm her, and that she is still charged for comfort. But we are ashamed of our entire "crop of cowardice," and sincerely hope to overcome and heal.
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BUCKY IS IN the "gifted program" at Cordley School, Maxwell said, and is exceptional in math.
Bucky's mother said her son could choose not to run, but he would not be allowed to run marathons if he did not train.
"This is really what persistence is all about. You can train a pigeon to pick at a stock thousands and thousands of birds. That's what we've done with Bucky."
FOSTER SAID that people often objected to the token system because they thought it harmed Bucky's dignity.
"But Bucky's the one who sets the goals and he does the running," he said. "We just help him assemble the most effective strategy for reaching those goals."
"The only thing we require him to run is three miles a day." Maxwell said. "That's just to keep him healthy. Everything else is his choice."
"Bucky takes piano and ballet lessons," she said. "Running is actually only a small part of his life. It just gets all of the publicity."
Bucky's second-grade teacher, Sandra Sanders, said that he was popular at school, but not because he was a celebrity.
"He's a very sensitive and considerate person," Sanders said. "And he enjoys being the center of attention."
Sanders said there were advantages and disadvantages to Bucky's strenuous training program.
THE GOOD EFFECTS are that it helps Bucky to work toward long-range goals and develop self-discipline.<sup>1</sup> Sanders said. "On the other hand, when he's at the peak of his training period, it affects so much energy that other areas suffer."
"Sometimes he's just not able to function as well academically."
Despite the contention over his running, Bucky is more interested in his career than his cat just had than fame. He would wear a hat on the planet Princess Leah is on in "The Empire Strikes Back" or the German pancakes he is going to eat at the Village Hall. Ask him if he ever wants to drink and he will say, "No. Why should I?"
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