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An eight-year-old girl may have just made history by potentially setting a new world record for her age group. Lily Janmohamed completed a 5k run in an impressive 20 minutes and 16 seconds during the Battersea Parkrun in South West London on Saturday, April 26—surpassing the previous record of 20:30 set by Gabrielle Hall in 2015.
Reflecting on her achievement, Lily shared her excitement: "When I crossed the finish line and heard my time, I couldn't believe it. I was so happy and proud. I knew I had to give it my all today, and having Joshua Patterson running alongside me helped so much."
She credited Patterson’s encouragement as a major motivator: "He kept cheering me on, telling me I was doing great. That really gave me the energy to push through the tough parts. Breaking the record felt like a dream—I haven’t stopped smiling since."
Her father, Faizal, 40, was overwhelmed with pride. "Seeing Lily push herself from start to finish was one of the most emotional moments I've ever experienced as a father. Her focus, determination, and joy were truly inspiring," he said. "Breaking a world record at just eight is amazing—but what I’m most proud of is her attitude: humble, excited, and always striving to do better."
Lily, who lives in Stanmore, North West London, was inspired to run by her older brother, nine-year-old Daniyal, who has his own sights set on breaking a 5k record for boys his age.
Full of joy after her achievement, Lily described the experience as one of the best of her life: "Running makes me feel free and strong—like I can do anything. I love chasing new goals and improving each time. This weekend was one of the happiest days of my life. I’m so grateful for everyone who helped me, especially my mum and dad for always believing in me."
Looking ahead, Faizal hinted at an even more ambitious goal—Lily wants to break the 20-minute mark and make her record official with Guinness World Records. Though she knows it won’t be easy, she’s ready to take on the challenge.
"My next big goal is to go under 20 minutes with Joshua Patterson and make it official with Guinness," Lily said. "It’s a bit scary, but also really exciting. I know it’ll be tough, but I love a challenge and I love running fast. I’ll keep training and believing in myself—just like everyone believes in me."
