A 16-year-old boy from Caerphilly has broken the Welsh under-17 1,500 metre race record – which has stood since August 1977.
Ben Reynolds broke the record in the British Athletics League, which was held in Birmingham on Saturday, August 3.
The record had been held by Colin Clarkson for 42 years.
His time of three minutes and 51.3 seconds means Ben is now ranked second in the UK under-17 rankings and tenth in the under-18 European rankings.
Ben, who trains with Cardiff Amateur Athletics Club, competed with senior runners during the race.
Ben’s mother, Si?n Reynolds, said: “Ben was over the moon. It meant so much to him.
“It was one of the few races my husband and I missed, but when Ben phoned us up to tell us the news he was still gasping for breath.”
Ben, who is a middle-distance runner, focuses primarily on the 800 metre and 1,500 metre races and occasionally runs 3,000 metres.
The Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni pupil took up running when he was nine-years-old, having been inspired by the London 2012 Olympics.
Mrs Reynolds said: “Since London 2012 it has become his life and passion. Even when studying for his recent GCSEs he never once missed a training session, balancing his studies with training and holding down a part-time running instructor job with Team Rees Gym.
“Ben tried football and rugby, but it wasn’t for him.
“He was always quick off the mark, but he didn’t want to start running competitively until he felt he was good enough to compete. He’s a perfectionist.
“Ben didn’t start running competitively until he was confident in his own abilities.
“He wants to win every time he competes and doesn’t want to be second best.”
Mrs Reynolds, who herself is a former runner, added: “Ben would love to go to the Olympics one day. He’s currently aiming for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.”
Breaking the record is another milestone in what has been a successful year for Ben.
The 16-year-old won the 800 metre race in the under-17 category at the British Indoor Championships in February and represented Wales in the London mini-marathon in April alongside his younger brother, Jacob, who also has ambitions to compete at the Olympic games.