Before October 12, the youngest person ever to run a half marathon was nine years old. But earlier this month, 6-year-old Keelan Glass shattered that record by a full three years when she ran the Showdown Half Marathon in Fairview, Texas.
Keelan ran in the under-14 age group, which had ten participants. She finished fifth in that category, with a time of 2:47:30. That's a 12:47 mile pace, and she even paused for a few photo ops with llamas along the course during the last three miles.
Her parents are triathletes, and according to local reports, Keelan began running alongside them after quickly tiring of her stroller and side-by-side biking. She ran her first 5K at age 4, and 10K at age 5.
Some experts are expressing concerns with the damage a long race can do to her still-growing bones, but Keelan's determined to aim even higher -- with a full marathon by age 10.
So the next time you see a small child in the corrals at a race, don't just assume they're hanging out with Mom or Dad. They could be your competition.
