It’s yet to be certified, but 11-year-old Leo Mendoza may have just entered the record books!
HOUSTON — Tens of thousands of people are celebrating and resting those legs after running the Chevron Houston Marathon and half marathon Sunday.
One of the runners reportedly set a world record in the half marathon for his age group — 11-year-old Leo Mendoza.
Leo is a fifth-grader at Kolter Elementary in Meyerland and a member of the Heart of Houston Track Club. He ran the half marathon — 13.2 miles — in a blazing 1:23:23. That is a 6.22-minute-per-mile pace.
We talked with Leo Sunday. He told us this was not easy.
“By mile 8 is when it starts to hurt,” he said. “But near mile 11, I could really feel it, and I almost wanted to quit, but I didn’t quit because I just knew I could get through and get to the end and I would regret it if I stopped.”
“What do you say to your friends at school tomorrow?” we asked him.
“I got a world record and I was on the news,” he said.
Leo said he likes running because it makes him calm, especially when he’s in a bad mood. His time is yet to be certified by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.
Leo started running at age 7.
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