AW’s British masters feminine athlete of the yr talks about discovering a love of operating that has led to medal-winning and record-breaking sprees.
Lower than a decade in the past, Sarah Roberts had a completely totally different imaginative and prescient of what life at 75 would entail. The grandmother of 5 had at all times been an irregular gymnasium goer throughout her days working as a solicitor and elevating two youngsters, earlier than then rising to day by day train classes in retirement – something from boxing to zumba, and yoga to legs, bums and tums. However organised sport was not one thing she had ever thought-about, least of all operating, which she had by no means accomplished past chasing her associates across the playground at major faculty.
So, for Roberts to now be topped AW’s British Feminine Masters Athlete of the Yr is a fairly extraordinary change after all.
“Working had by no means occurred to me,” she says. “I’d by no means considered doing it. I believed I might simply plod alongside in the identical type of means as I had been doing, however my life has fully modified as a result of every little thing now’s about operating.”
Her not too long ago gathered assortment of medals and information is staggering. Over the previous 12 months, Roberts has set W75 outside world information at 800m, 1500m, one mile, 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m, indoor world information over 800m, 1500m, 3000m, and highway world bests at 5km and 10km. A haul of 4 world indoor titles preceded an unrivalled bounty of eight European gold medals and 4 silvers. Not dangerous for somebody who had by no means raced internationally till final yr.
It was an sudden parkrun whereas on vacation in Cape City eight years in the past that so altered the course of Roberts’ life. Inspired by a neighborhood pal to participate, she ambled around the 5km course on the foot of Desk Mountain, earlier than returning every week later and operating small segments. Upon flying residence to Hertfordshire, she quickly grew to become a parkrun common, steadily decreasing her greatest time to lower than 23 minutes over the subsequent couple of years.
Buoyed by her enchancment, she joined her native athletics membership, Dacorum, a number of weeks after her seventieth birthday and signed up for an 800m race on the finish of the 2019 summer season. Lining up in opposition to youngsters, it was the primary time she had ever set foot on a monitor.
Delayed by the Covid pandemic, it was not till 2022 that she was capable of race frequently once more. By 2023, she was a double British champion within the 70-74 age group. The next yr she gained three world titles at her first worldwide competitors.
With masters athletics divided into age teams of five-year chunks, Roberts knew simply how important this yr could possibly be after turning 75 final October and getting into a brand new class for ladies aged between 75 and 79. Because the youngest in her cohort, she was decided to strike on the opportune time.
“I’ve labored fairly onerous at it this yr as a result of I used to be making an attempt to get all of the information that I might,” she explains. “I really haven’t accomplished that a lot coaching as a result of I’ve been racing a lot, but it surely’s been implausible – a beautiful yr.
“I obtained all of the world information that I’m in all probability able to and I feel my information are fairly good. I stored breaking my 5000m world report by very small quantities however I wasn’t proud of it, so I spent a very long time making an attempt to enhance it till lastly I obtained all the way down to the speeds that I do in parkrun and set a report of 21:25.8.
“I feel most of my information are slightly good now. I doubt whether or not I can beat them – clearly I’ll hold making an attempt, however I don’t count on that I can.”
The largest yield of Roberts’ yr got here at October’s European Masters Championships in Madeira, the place she completed as probably the most adorned athlete from any nation, successful gold within the 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, 10km particular person, 10km staff, cross nation staff and 4x100m. She additionally claimed silver over 400m, cross nation particular person, 4x400m and 4x400m blended, in addition to ending fourth over 200m.
It sounds totally exhausting. “It was fairly intense,” she concedes. “I actually lined all of the distances I used to be able to. On the day of the 200m, I needed to do the warmth and closing of that earlier than operating 10km on the highway that night.
“The day I did the cross nation [the first cross country race of her life], we needed to get a bus at 6.45am, which took us as much as an altitude of 4000 ft for the race. I didn’t realise I might be so affected by the altitude. However later that day I did the 1,500m down at sea degree as nicely.”
Such exploits have, admits Roberts, ensured she is now well-known on the planet of masters athletics – one thing she says is “very flattering”. Of successful this AW award, she provides: “I feel it’s fabulous and I really feel very honoured. I do know the competitors may be very stiff, so I’m thrilled.”
After a busy yr of record-chasing, the quick future appears to be like a little bit extra sedate. Her success is usually constructed on day by day gymnasium visits and he or she undertakes solely two common weekly operating coaching classes, along with the trusty Saturday morning parkrun. She has no intention of fixing her programme.
“I take pleasure in competing so I’m not going to cease,” says Roberts, waiting for the European Indoor Masters Championships in Torun, Poland, subsequent March. “However I gained’t be wanting fairly a lot at totally different distances to get a report as I’ve been this yr.
“I feel I’ll attempt to do some cross nation for my membership as a result of I’ve steered away from these previously as I used to be at all times a bit apprehensive about getting injured. As a result of I wished to attempt for information, I definitely didn’t wish to get injured, however the stress is off a bit now.”
Gobbling up each world report and title out there is a surefire means of doing that.
