We think it’s safe to say there aren’t many 9-year-olds who can claim to be a world record holder.

But last November, Zach Blum’s 18:30 finish—that’s 5:58 per mile pace—at the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Turkey Trot 5K became a world-topping time for runners his age.

“My reaction was, how could I have done that?” Zach told Runner’s World Newswire. “I thought I was going to get, like, 19:20.”

Zach’s time surprised his father, David, too. The pair planned to run together that morning with the goal of breaking 19:00. However, Zach’s pace proved too fast for David, a former Division I collegiate track runner, and Zach took off on his own after the first mile. He placed 12th overall out of almost 400 participants.

“I was pretty sad because [my dad can] usually can keep up with me,” Zach said. “But that day, he fell back because I was probably going 5:59 mile pace.”

The fourth grader from Tustin, California, started running after he quit soccer, joining the Equalizers Track Club a year ago.

“I like running because it’s really fun for me to push myself and see how far I can go with my leg speed at the end,” Zach said.

David said Zach was in “peak fitness” for the Turkey Trot because he was training for December’s USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships. At that race, Zach earned the All-American distinction with his 13th-place finish.

Looking ahead, Zach wants to break the world record for a 5K run on a track by a 9-year-old. He’ll attempt the feat at the Ben Brown Invitational in Fullerton, California, in March. Currently, Lucas Bourgoyne holds the top spot with his 18:41.3 finish set in 2011.

“If I can get in tip top shape, I want to go for under 18:20,” Zach said.

Despite Zach’s speedy rise up the ranks, David said his son has stayed modest about his accomplishments.

“We’re keeping it all in moderation,” David said. “We’re taking it in stride, but we’re extremely proud of him.”

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