His grandmother was his role model, says eleven-year-old Aiden Jaquez from Montgomery in Illinois. She ran a half marathon in 2014 and then got a "cool medal", said Aiden to the US channel CNN. "So I begged and implored her so I could run a half marathon - and then she finally said yes."
In the meantime, Aiden has not only completed a half marathon - but one in all 50 states of the country.
His grandmother, Kathleen Taylor, told CNN that her grandson had been enthusiastic about the Guinness Book of Records from an early age. He read the books regularly from start to finish. He was hooked on the idea of being listed in it himself - as the youngest runner running the 21.0975 kilometers in every American state.
Last weekend, Aiden crossed the finish line at a race in Des Moines, Iowa. And with that, he had also ticked off the last federal state on his list. Whether he actually makes it into the Guinness Book of Records is, according to CNN, unclear. The leaders told the broadcaster they would not consider this category at this time.
However, the record is recognized by the 50 States Half Marathon Club. Aiden pushed Syrafina Mohammed from Miami off the throne, who had completed her 50th half marathon in 2016 as a twelve-year-old.