Eleven-year-old Australian girl Tilly Williams has broken a world distance running record, beating other girls who were eight years older than her to run 5000m in just 17 minutes and 22.7 seconds. The primary schoolgirl beat the previous record by 19 seconds, making her the fastest distance runner under the age of 19 across 60 countries.
Tilly started running just two years ago and has already shot straight to the top. When some of her friends told her about the international record, she decided to give it a go while competing at the SA State Championships. “Some of my running friends told me about it and I said, wow, it would be crazy if I got that and here I am,” Tilly said. “It’s really crazy, I was never expecting it.”
Tilly has always loved keeping active, alongside her twin brother Henry and little sister Rosie. “I am the kind of person who really enjoys the challenge,” Tilly said. “I really love surfing and I love bike riding and hiking — all different kinds of adventure and sports.” She started running in 2021 when she joined her school’s cross-country team. Since then, she has run two to three times a week with her dad, Mark Williams, or at the Adelaide Harriers Athletics Club. “Everyone is really supportive and it really encourages me,” Tilly said.“It’s good knowing that my family’s on my side and my friends are on my side as well.”
Tilly said she has been inspired by runners Caitlin Adams, Tara Palm, and her favourite book character, Roald Dahl’s Matilda. “I could really relate to the main character Matilda because she set herself goals and really had to work hard to achieve them,” she said. Tilly has dreams of competing in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. By the way, Tilly doesn’t follow a strict diet, so her favourite food is still on the menu — her dad’s home-cooked pizza.
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