Jaden Merrick is on the fast track in life. The 9-year-old  set a new world record for his age in the half-marathon when he ran the Park-to-Park Half Marathon in Waterloo, Iowa on Sept. 9 in 1 hour, 30 minutes and 43 seconds. That’s a 6:55 minute/mile.

“We sent him out at a pretty conservative pace, and he ran spot on what he was supposed to run, and came in at the time we had pretty much planned on,” his father, Brent, said. “He paced himself. He ran it all on his own with his watch.”

“When I started, around mile 5, I was already about a minute ahead of the time I needed to be running, so I was thinking, ‘Well, is it going to be easy to get across that line or not?’ And it turned out to be pretty easy to get across,” Jaden added.

Jaden with his parents. Photo c/o Brent Merrick

The Cedar Falls boy isn’t new to setting records. He set one as a 7-year-old when he ran the same race in 1 hour, 43 minutes and 34 seconds. He also added another one to his name Sunday when he ran the Capital Pursuit 10-mile race in 1 hour, 11 minutes and 24 seconds.

You see, for Jaden, running fast isn’t just about hitting another mark. It’s about pure joy. He started logging miles at 5 years old when he saw his parents hitting the pavement.

“I took him out a few times and just went from there,” Brent said. “He ran his first 5K right at 5. His love for running is unreal. He loves distance.”

Brent and Jaden’s mom, Sabina, never miss a race, or an opportunity to spend quality time together, whether hiking or going on weekly family bike rides.

Any chance to be active puts a smile on Jaden’s face.

“I like running so much because you rely on yourself,” Jaden said. “And running keeps me active. At school, we don’t have much gym time and as much recess time, so outside, when I’m running, I feel healthy.”

And that benefit extends to the classroom, where he says, math and reading are his favorite subjects.

“We believe it’s helped him in school,” Brent said. “He’s really focused and does excellent in his school work.

Jaden puts in around 20 to 25 training miles per week, which include a couple of days of speed work. His parents often join him out on the road, but don’t be fooled. They’re not running with him.

“I can’t run with him. I’m not that fast,” Brent said. “I do a lot of biking beside him when he runs.”

After training, Jaden will often hop on his bike and cruise to his friend’s house to build bike ramps, swim or play flag football.

“He’s still a kid that goes and plays just like everybody else,” his father said.

Jaden aspires to be a professional runner when he grows up. He already has a coach, who is also a physical therapist, making sure his form is good in order to avoid injuries. To date, he’s never had a running-related injury.

Photo c/o Brent Merrick

As for Brent’s advice on how to handle a talented young runner?

“Don’t push them. If they want to do it, they’re going to do it,” he said. “You can take a kid to a soccer game or football game and make them play, but if you take a kid out to a trail or a road, and if they don’t want to run 13.1 miles, you’re going to have a pretty tough time.”

And Jaden’s advice for getting through those tough miles?

“Just push through it and have nothing in your head,” he said. “Have a clear mind and just run. That makes it a lot easier.”

And, as life unfolds for Jaden, he’ll learn that keeping a clear mind helps in so many other areas of life, too.