Houston 11-year-old sets world record at Houston Half-Marathon

January 12, 2026

An 11-year-old Houston runner is making history after crossing the finish line at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.

Leonel Mendoza didn’t just finish the race — he broke a world record for his age group, clocking an astonishing 1 hour, 23 minutes, beating the previous record by 35 seconds.

Leonel first ran the Houston Half Marathon last year, finishing in 1:27. After learning the world record set by another 11-year-old, according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, was 1:23:58, he set his sights on history. Fox26