A pair of lightning-fast siblings are making waves across London's parkrun scene after both smashing 5K records, despite being just 10 and nine years old. Elder brother Daniyal Janmohamed and younger sister Lily posted sub-20-minute times at the Parkrun in Battersea, South West London.
For men, the average time it takes to complete a 5K is 29 minutes, while for women, the average 5K time stands at 38 minutes. Lily's time of 19 minutes and 45 seconds is the current British record for a nine-year-old girl. Meanwhile, Daniyal's time of 18 minutes and three seconds was also a record until it was broken last weekend.
Proud father Faizal Janmohamed, 41, admits he hasn't got a clue how he ended up with such athletic children, as he is not a runner himself. However, he supports them fully and is keen to discover just how far they can progress.
A family affair
The duo frequently become competitive with one another during races, though their dad insists it remains good-natured. Faizal, a marketing worker from Stanmore, North West London, explained: "They are both very competitive, especially with each other. They are very passionate and they train very hard because they want to be the best at what they do."
He added: "Lily will tease her brother that she has the higher age grading, and her brother will tell her that when he was nine years old, he got a time of 18:19. So, it is friendly banter between both siblings, but they are both very close and they love running together."
Daniyal first discovered his passion for running three years ago when he competed in a school competition, finishing a remarkable fourth place out of 60 boys. From that moment, he was hooked, committing to three training sessions a week at a local running club while continuing to compete in school races.
Witnessing her elder brother thrive inspired younger sister Lily to lace up her own trainers, joining the same club and swiftly breaking records within her age group.
Training and goals
Faizal said: "When Daniyal started running, Lily wanted to join too. Many times I thought she would stop, but she stuck at it, and there is nothing more she loves than going for a running training session."
He added: "They both run together in events for their club and it is so nice to see brother and sister competing together, brother in the boys race and sister in the girls race. Both of my children are quite good endurance runners. Daniyal especially has very good stamina. His body is used to running longer distances."
The athletic pair maintain a healthy diet and a disciplined sleep routine, according to their father. Daniyal has ambitions of becoming a marathon runner, alongside hopes of turning professional in table tennis, a sport in which he currently sits fourth in the UK rankings for his age group.
Lily's preferred distance is 800m, which she currently runs in 2:39, while Daniyal favours the 1,500m track event and is targeting a sub-five-minute time this season. Both children are keen to continue progressing together, with their ultimate ambition being to represent England at the Olympics.
Faizal said: "Daniyal is also very supportive of Lily and helps her navigating her watch. I am very happy to see them excelling but the most important thing is them enjoying it. The best thing for me is that I never have to push them to do it."
Record-breaking runs
Their father revealed that both youngsters have clocked record-breaking times at Battersea Parkrun, despite being unaware that any records existed at the time, and having only competed in three 5K races per year. According to organisers, roughly eight per cent of participants across the UK last week were aged between four and 19, suggesting the competition is far from lacking.
Daniyal said: "I wanted to get a sub-18-minute time before I turn 11, and I knew it would be really difficult since my last run was in February. But I was determined to do it. I don't think my dad thought I would make it, but I pushed him to let me try anyway. I'm so happy I did it. I knew I could. The first 3K felt amazing. I felt really strong. But the last 2km got tough."
He added: "When my dad's friend told us that I had broken the 10-year-old boys record at Battersea Parkrun, I was over the moon as I didn't even know it existed!"
Lily added: "Running makes me feel so free and strong, like I can do anything. I love chasing new goals and getting better each time. I'm going to keep training hard and keep believing in myself, just like everyone believes in me."
