Mekhi Gammons (13) runs 47.86 at the 2019 AAU National Club Championships to break the world age group 400m record

Getting under 48 seconds in the 400 meters is not an extraordinary time for a professional runner but it is for a 13-year-old boy. Mekhi Gammons, an American kid born on July 26, 2005, won his AAU Club Championships race last weekend with an incredible record of 47.86.

To understand the stratospheric record of this teenager, the world record that since 2016 has South African Wayde van Niekerk is at 43.03 and the best record of the season, held by American Michael Norman, is 43.45, so Gammons stayed to little more than four seconds. 

The brand of Gammons, which belongs to the team Miami Gardens Xpress Track and Field Club, has amazed the world when the boy takes the compensation to all his rivals to pass through the 200 and even tightens in the final straight to establish those impressive 47.86.

Obviously, beat the world record for athletes of his age, which had since 2011 also American Bryce Love with 48.62. Interestingly, the latter ended up leaving athletics to pursue American football after having combined both sports during his university career. In the last draft of the NFL, was chosen by the Washington Redskins.

Gammons was very close to the U-18 world record, which since this season belongs to the American Justin Robinson with 44.84.

posted Wednesday July 17th