A British child who became the fastest 9-year-old girl to run a 5K earlier this year has her sights set on beating her personal record — tomorrow.
Lily Janmohamed, now 10, is on track to beat her previous time of 19 minutes, 45 seconds at the Battersea Park Run in London.
She became the fastest 8-year-old girl in the world to run a 5K, or 3.1 miles, on April 26, 2025, with a time of 20 minutes, 16 seconds, beating the 2015 record of 20 minutes, 30 seconds set by Gabrielle Hall. Then she smashed that personal best on March 14 of this year — the effort is believed to be a world record but Guinness World Records doesn’t track 5K times for 9-year-olds, per SWNS.
Lily, from Stanmore, England, told the outlet she’s determined to beat her record at the Oct. 17 event and is hoping for 19 minutes, 25 seconds. She trains three times a week, and recent workouts suggest a new PR is possible.
“My record will be hard to beat but I’m up for the challenge,” she said. “I’ve been training really well and I feel strong, I just hope the weather is good.” (If it’s not, she said she’ll punt her record attempt to the park run on Oct. 31.)
Lily continued: “I can’t promise a personal best but I can promise to try my hardest.”
Parents Faizal and Shahliza Janmohamed said they’re both incredibly proud of Lily, who is using the upcoming event as an opportunity to raise money for Scope, a U.K. charity that provides support and resources to young people with disabilities.
“Lily has gained so much confidence through running. It’s lovely to see that she is doing this to help other children and not just to achieve a personal best,” dad Faizal said, adding: “The way she combines her natural ability with her determination and love for running is amazing to see.”
“Lily is a superhero to us,” mom Shahliza shared. “We are endlessly proud of her dedication, hard work, and the heart she is putting into this. Whatever she achieves, we just want Lily to run her best.”
The young athlete’s dream is to eventually run for Team England and represent her country, but for now, she’s proud to have been made athletics captain at her school, St. Albans High School for Girls, this year.
“Running makes me feel so free and strong, like I can do anything,” Lily said. “I love chasing new goals and getting better each time.”
This article was originally written by Kate Pounds for SWNS — the U.K.’s largest independent news agency, providing globally relevant original, verified, and engaging content to the world’s leading media outlets.
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