Yale O'Connor, 9, nabs 2nd at Epic 5K race in Dartmouth
O'Connor is trying to break the world 5K record before he turns 10 in August
Yale O'Connor may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but he's fast.
The nine-year-old boy, clad in a Superman T-shirt, competed in Saturday's Epic 5K race in Dartmouth and finished second overall with a time of 19 minutes and 35 seconds.
"I'm feeling pretty proud," the Armbrae Academy student said as he gave his mom Jennifer a high-five.
He says the biggest challenge was at the two-kilometre point where there was a hill with a tiny incline that was quite long. However, there was a payoff at the end.
"It was a nice gradual downhill, so then I could have a strong finish there," said O'Connor.
Today's run is part of Yale's summer quest to post the fastest 5K for a nine year old. He posted an even speedier time at last month's Bluenose race in Halifax where he clocked in at 19 minutes and two seconds. He's chasing a time of 18 minutes and 29 seconds and is trying to beat that before he turns 10 in August.
His mother, Jennifer O'Connor, says there's no pressure on him. She says Yale loves to run because he feels relaxed and doesn't think about anything else. This morning, he got dressed, made his bed and was ready to run.
The race was won by another child. Connor MacMillan, 11, finished with a time of 19 minutes and 10 seconds.