"Running makes me feel so free and strong"
A nine-year-old girl is being hailed as a rising star after running a five-kilometre London parkrun in under 20 minutes.
Lily Janmohamed captured attention at the Battersea Parkrun after producing a time rarely seen at her age.
She finished the run in 19 minutes and 45 seconds, placing her among elite-level youth performances.
It is 31 seconds faster than her previous best, which made headlines as the fastest time for an eight-year-old in Parkrun history in April 2025.
Lily, from Harrow, London, said: “I wasn’t even thinking about breaking a record. I just wanted to run a good race and see what time I could do.
“I haven’t done a really fast 5k for a long time, so my goal was to run around 20 minutes and I would have been really happy with that. I’m over the moon with my time.
“Running makes me feel so free and strong, like I can do anything. I love chasing new goals and getting better each time.”
Despite Lily’s impressive performance, Guinness World Records said it could not verify the run as a record as it does not track Lily’s specific age category.
The decision has not slowed her ambitions. Lily is now targeting qualification for the London Mini Marathon.
She said: “My dream is to run in the London Mini Marathon, so I really wanted to try and run a fast time. I’m going to keep training hard and keep believing in myself, just like everyone believes in me.”
She hopes to represent the London borough of Barnet in the under-12 category. Only four girls are selected, with entries based on the fastest Parkrun times submitted by March 15.
Her father, Faizal Janmohamed, said he was “incredibly proud” of his daughter.
He said: “The way she combines her natural ability with her determination and love for running is amazing to see.
“When she sets her mind on something, she gives it everything and seeing her enjoy it and do her best means the world to us.”
“She just really enjoys it and finds it effortless. She has got an abundance of energy.”
Parkrun’s age-grading system underlines the scale of Lily’s performance. Scores above 40% indicate above-average fitness, while anything over 80% reflects national-level talent.
Lily recorded 88.86%, despite finishing 142nd overall in the race.
The Battersea Parkrun is widely regarded as one of the fastest courses in the UK. Analysts say its flat layout and competitive field often produce standout times.
Data expert Tim Grose, who tracks the fastest Parkruns nationwide, considers Battersea among the most competitive events in Britain.
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