by Olivia Young

Joah Henry, a second grader at P.S. 81,  is the fastest 8-year-old in the United States.

Joah ran the 800-meter race at the Amateur Athletic Union Indoor National Championship, held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center on March 7, with a time of 2 minutes and 44.06 seconds. A day later, he ran the 1500-meter race in 5 minutes and 27.68 seconds — nearly 20 seconds faster than the runner up.

The Amateur Athletic Union is a 130-year-old nonprofit that hosts programs for 45 different youth sports, starting at 7 years old. It has more than 800,000 members.

While running the 1500-meter race, Joah said he remained confident he could win. The moment he crossed the finish line, his dad, Clai, and 11-year-old sister June, also a competitive runner, burst out in cheers.

“I screamed a little too much, ” Clai Henry, a prosecutor for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and longtime Riverdale resident, said. “I was just really excited for him because he works so hard.”

Joah has trained with his dad for nearly two years. For Clai Henry, what started as a way to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic transformed into an opportunity to spend time with his kids — and ultimately two gold medals for Joah.

“It’s challenging and there’s a lot of competition,” Joah said about the sport. But that’s what he loves most about it.

Clai, Joah, and June Henry run together after school, up to 15 miles a week spread out over a few days. Sometimes they do light workouts in their North Riverdale neighborhood or around Van Cortlandt Park, other days they train at a faster pace on the park’s track to build stamina.

The kids started with local races in Van Cortlandt Park before taking their talents nationwide. In a 2023 Amateur Athletic Union competition, June placed sixth in the 800-meter race with a time of 2 minutes and 57.95 seconds. Clai Henry, who runs with the New York Road Runners, said he recognized the kids had potential as runners early on, and got Joah started in the sport once he was a little older.

Even when he was just starting out, Joah said running came easily to him. “I was fast,” he said. “It was hard, but I was good.”

Over time, running has shaped more than just Joah’s daily routine. His mom, Anne Henry, who is a part-time attorney for a Westchester-based law firm, said she’s noticed a change in Joah and June since they started running.

“I think it became a confidence builder for both of them,” she said. “It made them tougher because it’s something that, no matter what level you’re at, you can always find it to be challenging.”

Joah and June are two of four Henry kids, with a fifth one on the way. Running has become a hobby for the whole family. Last year, 2-year-old Lyla and 5-year-old Ruby took part in the annual 50-meter race for pre-kindergarten kids in Van Cortlandt Park, hosted by the nonprofit Healthy Kids Running Series.

“We promote healthy competition for our kids,” Clai Henry said. “It’s part of the way in which we parent. We’re also very big on physical fitness and health.”

The dedication has paid off. On March 29,  Joah will receive the Athlete of the Year Award for overall boys runner in youth cross country from USA Track and Field New York at a ceremony in Staten Island.

When he’s not running, Joah enjoys math class at school, loves to read and play with his friends, and is an ardent Harry Potter fan.

“He’s a great athlete, but he’s also very bright,” Clai Henry said. “He’s funny, he’s kind … He’s got three sisters who he loves and takes care of … He’s a great kid.”