Jonah Gorevic, the local runner from Greenhaven who last year broke the world record for 11-year-olds in the mile, set two more records in his most recent outings on the track.
By Mitch Silver
Jonah Gorevic, the local runner from Greenhaven who last year broke the world record for 11-year-olds in the mile, set two more records in his most recent outings on the track.
His wire-to-wire victory a month ago in the boys’ 800-meter run at the Millrose Games in New York was clocked in 2:13.44, more than four seconds faster than the second-place finisher and a new Millrose record.
Proving he can run any middle distance race that comes along, the Hackley seventh grader last week unleashed an astonishing last-lap kick in the 13-14 Boys’ 3,000-meter race at the USATF Youth Indoor Championships on Staten Island’s Ocean Breeze track, crushing the old record by more than 21 seconds in a time of 9:22.96.
Over the last quarter mile, he lapped most of the field, moving outside in order to pass the stragglers and slightly lengthening his run. Asked about it, Jonah said, “They’re running the race too, so they have the right to be there. If I want to pass them, I have to go around.”
The following day, he ran the 800 and came in fifth against competitors as much as 18 months older than he is. His time of 2:12.47 was nearly a second faster than his record-setting Millrose run three weeks earlier.
Finally, the Greenhaven Flash, running for White Plains’ Tailwind Track Club, toed the line for the National 1,500, his third race in three days. His fifth-place time of 4:27.59 was a new Gorevic personal best by more than seven seconds.
So, how does Jonah recover so quickly between these grueling races? “My dad makes me buckwheat pancakes the morning of a race. Buckwheat is a super food.”
And his mother mentioned another reason: “Don’t forget those chocolate chips he adds.”
Buckwheat, chocolate chips, and DNA. Apparently, they’re all you need to keep running through those tapes.