9-year-old Halifax runner going for 5K record

A 9-year-old Halifax runner is on a roll and he's working hard to extend his streak into a world record.

Yale O'Connor just posted a personal best last weekend when he finished the Lung Run 5K in exactly 20 minutes flat.

The 55 pound athlete placed 26 out of nearly 400 runners, easily outpacing most adults, and finished fourth in the 19-and-under category. Only teenagers several years older than him ran faster. 

His 20 minute personal best shaved off more than a minute when he blew past men dressed like Old Saint Nick in the Santa Shuffle 5K before Christmas.

His coach, Rob Chambers, says when O'Connor realized he was beating speedy grown-ups, he set his sights higher.

"He's got me by about a minute and a bit," said Chambers with a hearty laugh, and praise for the youngster's work ethic and fun spirit.

Going after world record for 9-year-olds

Now the Grade 4 Armbrae Academy student, clad in rainbow-coloured sneakers, is training hard, five times a week, to reach a lofty goal: trim 90 seconds off his best time to claim the world record before he turns 10 in a few months.

O'Connor says that would be "pretty cool" as he works towards his ultimate goal — to represent Canada at the Olympics.

But most of all, he just loves to run.

"It's like a good thing to do, get out and instead of staying in your house and lying around," he said.

O'Connor says his secrets to a fast race include keeping focused on his breathing and going all out on the last kilometre.

And like a lot of competitive athletes, he's superstitious. He follows a precise routine of warm-up exercises repeated three times.

On race day, his meal is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, washed down with water, two hours before the starting gun is fired.

And if you're checking out the Scotiabank Bluenose race, be sure to look out for him. But he won't be in the youth fun run. He'll be racing alongside the adults in the 5K.