One other world age-group mark for the prolific masters record-breaker
Clare Elms consolidated her place as Britain’s most prolific 1500m and mile age group report breaker when she improved her personal W60 world report at 1500m on Tuesday (Aug 5) in Tonbridge, Kent, Steve Smythe stories.
In doing so she additionally strengthened her maintain of being the world’s oldest girl to interrupt 5 minutes because the 61-year-old ran 4:56.85 on a windy night.
Final yr, she was voted AW’s feminine masters athlete of 2024 however she seems to be on for a good higher 2025.
Indoors she set world information at 1500m and 3000m and gained six world masters golds this winter and this summer season she has now set outside 1500m and mile world information and British information at 3000m and 5000m and 5km with the latter additionally being a world finest.
With a powerful wind, she was pondering she might need to aim it in a unique assembly with the wind studying displaying -4.0 and -3.6m/sec within the 100m races instantly earlier than the eight 1500m races started.
She additionally was disillusioned pre race that the one grasp athlete entered – fellow V60 and a 3:42.6 1500m man and former UK champs medallist Graeme Saker needed to withdraw which left her up towards eight athletes all younger sufficient to be her grandchildren!
The race was gained by 13 -year-old Ted Vallins in an enormous PB of 4:40.53 and her eldest competitor was 46 years her junior.
Regardless of operating the primary 300m at inside 4:50 tempo (57.2) she was final on the opening lap earlier than steadily closing on a number of the slowing kids nevertheless it did imply operating extensive as she accomplished the 2 center laps in 80.3 and 81.1 to be the main girl within the race.
At this stage it appeared like she would simply miss out however she dug in nicely on the final lap to select as much as a 78.4 ultimate circuit to enhance on her 4:57.14 from Tooting final yr.
Since breaking the W55 world 1500m report in 2019, Elms has proven outstanding consistency in her outside 1500m bests within the following years in defying age.
4:58.23 at 56 in 20204:58.45 at 57 in 20214:58.3 at 58 in 20224:57.10 at 59 in 2023 (world age 59 finest)4:57.14 at 60 in 2024 (world age 60 finest)4:56.85 at 61 in 2025 (world age 61 finest)
Elms defined: “After breaking the information in 2019, I obtained varied viruses and Covid and there was additionally lock down which stopped me constructing on my 2019 type however I really feel I’ve caught up once more now. I believe in higher situations and with even pacing snd up towards senior or vets I can go fairly a bit quicker if I keep wholesome this yr.”
She nonetheless holds all eight British age group information at 1500m and mile between the W45 and W60s however she additionally hopes to enhance information at fairly just a few different occasions earlier than transferring up in distances over the autumn nevertheless it might embody a tilt at medals over a variety of occasions on the European Masters in Madeira later in October.
Later within the month she is a part of a powerful British workforce making an attempt to interrupt the W60 4x800m world report alongside fellow report breaker Virginia Mitchell and world medallists Christine Anthony and Elke Hausler.
The quickest 1500m of the evening was set by former English Nationwide cross-country champion James Kingston who blasted by way of 800m in 2:00 however eased again on the second half to three:53.58.
