A video of teenage British sprinter Bronson Hearn-Smith has gone viral - and it’s easy to see why.
Colchester’s Hearn-Smith, 15, in many ways looks like your average teenager, but unlike most of his counterparts, he possesses lightning speed and is tipped to achieve great things in the sport of athletics.
As reported by The Guardian earlier this month, Hearn-Smith ran an impressive 100 metre time of 10.65 seconds, as well as boasting a personal best of 21.40s over 200m.
Aside from his race times, the teenager has built up a hefty fanbase in recent times after going viral on social media.
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Running 100m in under 11 seconds is undoubtedly impressive, but fans zoned in on his running style, which is unique to say the least.
Of course, all the best sprinters have slightly different styles, with four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson being widely recognised for his upright running position and short steps, while 200 and 100m world record holder Usain Bolt boasted a long and powerful stride during his illustrious career.
But, well, it’s hard to describe or compare Hearn-Smith’s to anyone else, given its almost bizarre nature.
The aforementioned video, which was posted to social media in July, shows the teenager racing to victory ahead of five other competitors at the Colchester Schools Athletics Championships - and some fans described the sprinter as looking “like he wasn’t even trying,” with others comparing his style to that of a jog rather than a sprint.
The youngster, who stands at six feet and two inches, offered some insight into his backstory following the race and to the surprise of many, has only been racing for around four years since he was 11.
“I only realised I was good last year,” Hearn-Smith told The Guardian. “I ran 10.9 [in the 100m] and that was second in the UK for my age.”
And despite the new wave of attention on him, the athlete is determined to keep his feet on “the ground”.
Almost obviously, comparisons have and will continue to be made with Divine Iheme, also 15, who recently clocked a 10.3s world record time for a 14-year-old.
Despite possibly becoming rivals in years to come, Hearn-Smith insisted that the pair were “good friends”.
17-year-old Australian sprinter Gout Gout is also showing huge promise, having recently reached the semi-finals of the men’s 200m event at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Like the others, Hearn-Smith could become a household name in future years.
Bronson Hearn-Smith explains unique running style
As previously stated, some fans believe Hearn-Smith isn't even trying, but during an interview with ITV earlier in September, the starlet insisted that he was before going on to explain how his style works.
“A lot of people say that I’m not even running, but I promise you I am,” he said.
“I put so much force into the ground, it looks so easy just because I get my legs up so high, but I promise you it is very intense.”
Topics: Athletics, Usain Bolt
Luke Davies