Jonah Gorevic broke a world record at the Adidas Grand Prix in front of friends, family and his babysitter.
Gorevic, a rising sixth grader from Rye, N.Y., ran the fastest-ever mile by a 10-year-old at Icahn Stadium in New York on Saturday. Gorevic covered four laps on the blue track in 5 minutes, 1.55 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 5:05.3.
He set his sights on the world record after he ran a 5:09 mile in April, when he was told he was just four seconds off the mark.
“I just wanted to break it so badly,” Gorevic told a group of reporters while wearing his race bib and holding his winner’s flower bouquet (video interview here).
Gorevic said he ran his first mile at age 3 or 4, but that “it was only in a Turkey Trot, so it wasn’t that competitive.” A soccer player, he trains 10-12 miles a week, including a hard interval session on Thursday nights and a long trail run on Saturdays.
His coach, Carl Curran, said Gorevic could have broken 5 minutes in less windy and cooler conditions.
“I was thinking that the 71.5 [seconds for the first 400m lap] was out a little bit fast,” Curran said. “We were hoping at around a 73. But he maintained his middle two laps, which was the really tough ones, and he brought it home in a 73. He had an amazing race. I’m really proud of him.”
The 11-and-under age group record is 4:55, Curran said. That’s the next goal.
"[Gorevic is] just a sponge,” said Curran, who coaches 20 to 25 kids, including two other young All-Americans. “I just point him in a direction, and he just goes.”
Jonah Gorevic sets record for 10 year olds with 5:01.55 mile at #agpnyc Splits approx 71/78/78/74 #fastkid pic.twitter.com/A1PwSLWIoZ
— Cloud259 (@Cloud259dotcom) June 14, 2014
http://instagram.com/p/pPOG5ypq91/
Wow! I want to be like Jonah Gorevic when I grow up :) He just set a New WR for the 10-year-old Mile- 5:01.55. Way to go boy :) #agpnyc
— Bernard Lagat OLY (@Lagat1500) June 14, 2014
