Ivan Blanco Estrada, a 10 -year -old boy from Malaga (Spain), surprised the sports community when he completed a 25 km running distance with an average speed of 4 minutes 57 seconds/km. Not only that, he also owns a personal record at a distance of 5 km is 17 minutes 25 seconds.
Ivan's achievements quickly spread after an interview with a beverage brand, where he shared the secret to success: “Be persistent, practice every day and really passionate about this sport.”
To achieve impressive figures, Ivan obeys a strict training regime, including Core exercises, strengthening upper body and hip flexibility. His schedule revolves around: breakfast – exercise – lunch – exercise – snack and go to bed. Favorite food before each competition? “Rice with beetroot,” Ivan shared.
Although young, Ivan has requires as a professional athlete. Instead of toys or games, the reward he wants to receive if he is good at studying is “a stone water tank to recover foot”, demonstrating the serious and harsh level of practice.
Ivan's achievements are admired by many, but also sparked a fierce debate on social networks and in the athletes. Some prominent faces in the Spanish athletics village such as Carles Castillejo, Chiki Perez and Agudea Marques have voiced oppose Ivan's excessive training level.
Castillejo said: “It is crazy to catch a developing body to suffer such intensity.” Meanwhile, Chiki Perez warned that being forced too early could make children “lose interest in actually enter a professional path”. Aguda Marques emphasized: “This volume of practice creates huge psychological and physical pressure for a 10 -year -old child.”
However, not everyone criticized. Yago Rojo, a marathon, expressed his admiration: “This boy is extraordinary.” As for Runner and Influencer Pitufollow, Ivan's protection, saying that he ran for and for his charity purpose, like mirrors like Jakob Ingerbrigtsen or Kilian Jornet – who also practiced very early.
Although Ivan Blanco's future is still unknown, it is undeniable that he is creating unprecedented milestones with a 10 -year -old child. Will Ivan be a sustainable talent or a victim of pressure too early? Time will answer.