First grader runs half marathon in under three hours

A smiling, 35-pound first grader crossed the finish line at a half marathon in Texas last weekend, and officials said she barely seemed winded after her world record run.

The Dallas Morning News published a photograph of little Keelan Glass, the 6-year-old who ran The Showdown Half Marathon in less than three hours on Oct. 12, proudly wearing her medal.

Glass' parents, who are dedicated athletes, said their daughter has been involved in sports since she was in a stroller, being pushed along with her parents as they trained. By the time she was five, Keelan could finish a 10-kilometre run, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Glass' run raised nearly $3,000 for a local pregnancy resources and anti-abortion centre, KTXS.com reported. Her age and finishing time of 2 hours, 47 minutes also earned her a world record, according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.

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Her mother told the newspaper she consulted an orthopedist before letting her three-foot-five daughter enter the 13-mile run. However, a pediatrician speaking to the Dallas Morning News said running long distances at such a young age could be hard on a child's body.

Another 6-year-old became the youngest person to ever run the Indianapolis Half Marathon this past Saturday, according to Fox59.

When an anchor asked the shy little boy, Connor Shiffer, how he became an endurance runner before growing taller than most competitors' shoulders, he replied with a small shrug.