Florida-bound Rob McHarg and Sarah Roberts in world record form – AW

Impressive performances at the British Masters Championships at Lee Valley on February 22-23 with McHarg beating Andrew Ridley in a classic 1500m showdown

British master athletes continued their incredible run of record breaking at Lee Valley over the weekend as many athletes continued their preparation for the World Masters Championships in Florida in March, Steve Smythe reports.

This year Rob McHarg and Andrew Ridley’s record breaking has been compared to Coe and Ovett’s heyday as the countrymen swap records though the pair seem more keen to race each other than the former Olympic winners!

Last year Ridley held the edge, winning world masters M60 titles at 800m and 1500m and breaking world record outdoors at 800m and the mile.

Ridley started 2025 on top again with a near 3000m record and UK title at Sheffield with McHarg seven seconds back.

McHarg, after a pair of UK 800m marks, struck first though in terms of world records, breaking the M60 indoor mile mark but it lasted less than 10 minutes as Ridley broke it in the very next race.

Four days later McHarg broke the world M60 800m record and then three days after that Ridley broke the 1500m record just three days before the championships.

With McHarg winning the 800m here solo on Saturday with the second fastest M60 time in history just missing the world record, Sunday saw the first 800m or 1500m clash of the year between the friends.

Ridley, wary of McHarg’s 800m prowess, started at a furious pace and 400m in 67 and 800m in 2:17 (quicker than all bar McHarg ran in the event the day before) set up a surefire record if they didn’t blow up on the second half.

In one of the greatest ever masters clashes, Ridley pushed through the second half at a similar pace in attempt to drop his rival who had finished six seconds behind him in Gothenburg last summer.

Just before the bell, McHarg kicked past in an effort to surprise and although Ridley chased throughout the last lap the Scot held on through a 33-second last 200m with a time of 4:20.32 to take four seconds off of Ridley’s mark as both he and Ridley (4:21.91) were well inside the outdoor world record too.

McHarg, who has a 30-year-old PB of 3:52.6, ran his fastest time for 24 years according to Power of 10. Such was the quality, European Masters 3000m champion Chris Upson was out of the medals in fourth.

There was quantity too as the big entry unusually required two 1500m races in the age group. One of the first people to congratulate McHarg was snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan, who was delighted to witness such a great race and world record.

McHarg is on his way to Florida and is entered for the 800m, 1500m and 3000m although Ridley, who was voted European masters male middle-distance athlete of the year, sadly cannot make the trip.

Britain’s best women’s hope for medals in the USA is probably W75 Sarah Roberts. She is entered for the 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3000m in the USA and in Lee Valley she broke the 800m and 1500m world records and came close in the 400m having already set a 3000m world record at the national championships last month.

She began her weekend  on Saturday with an outright 200m PB of 36.24 which got her W75 silver a second behind world outdoor champion Moira West’s UK indoor record 35.19 with Roberts also inside the previous record.

West also broke the UK 60m record with 10.22 on Sunday.

A few hours after her 200m, Roberts ran the 800m and improved her world record from 3:01.11 to a ground breaking 2:57.32 which is an outright PB and makes her the oldest ever woman at 75 to break three minutes at 800m.

It would have won the British men’s M75 title here by over 15 seconds and is 10 seconds quicker than Angela Copson’s outdoor world record.

She returned on Sunday to run the 1500m and there she improved her own world record from the week before from 6:05.90 to an indoor PB of 5:58.15 to become the oldest runner to break six minutes for 1500m.

Again it would easily have won the men’s title in her age group. What’s more, the outdoor world record is a mere 6:14.88.

Her final race of the weekend was the 400m and possibly as too fast an opening lap and her three previous races caught up with her and while her 81.45 took five seconds off of Kath Stewart’s UK mark it just missed American Jeanne Daprano’s world record of 81.28. Just as in the 800m and 1500m, it also would have won the men’s title.

There was also some British records in other age groups which are detailed below in the various age groups.

M35:

The M35 age group was generally surpassed by the older M40 age group in the field but there were some fast track efforts.

Byron Robinson’s 7.13/22.55 sprint double made him the quickest man on the day as he surpassed his 2024 times.

World masters finalist Damaine Benjamin’s 51.24 400m was in the final race of the championships.

David Scott won a competitive 800m with Chris Loudon also inside two minutes.

Bronze medallist Oliver Williams won the following day’s 1500m.

European Indoor masters high jump champion Tim Nichols was the pick of the field eventers.

60/200: B Robinson 7.13/22.55
400: D Benjamin 51.24
800: D Scott 1:58.78
1500: O Williams 4:13.83
60H: S Wilcockson 8.87
HJ: T Nichols 1.85
PV: S Gower 3.60
LJ: I Nworgu 5.48
TJ: G Paxman 11.27

M40:

Multiple world championships senior finalist Will Sharman won a competitive 60m hurdles in 8.36, his fastest for five years.

The 2023 world masters indoor high jump champion Martin Lloyd impressed with a 1.95m leap.

60: D Showler-Davis 7.40
200: A Spour 23.44
400: D Awde 51.29
800: K Hutchinson 2:02.49
1500: D Acheson 4:15.76
60H: W Sharman 8.36
HJ: M Lloyd 1.95
PV:  B Ahmet 3.70
LJ: J Poxon 5.77
TJ: C Holcombe 11.99
SP:  R Skedd 12.75

M45:

Former Scottish senior 800m champion Andy Brown impressed with a fast finish at 1500m as he utilised his former 1:48.30 speed at the shorter distance.

James Robinson was the pick of all the age groups in the pole vault.

60: TJ Ossai 7.41
200: 1 B Boyce IRL 24.50; 2 C Carr 24.60
400: 1 Carr 53.53
800: N Laud 2:07.05
1500: A Brown 4:14.78
60H: J Rodwell 10.02
HJ: C Nicholls 1.50
PV: J Robinson 4.10
LJ/TJ: G Stirling 5.33/12.11

M50:

European Masters indoor shot bronze mefallist Stephen McCauley impressed with a PB 15.92m.

60: J Wood 7.43
200: M Tarnawsky 24.89
400: A Cameron 56.16
800: R Scott 2:07.90
1500: B Brodie 4:35.13
60H: G Smith 9.17
HJ: A Lombaard 1.65
PV:  1 R Kingman 3.40
LJ: A Morey 5.73
TJ: G Britton 10.63
SP: S McCauley 15.92

M55:

The 2019 European Masters champion Guiseppe Minetti scored a sprint double while double World Masters champion Mark Symes was a class apart at 800m and 1500m.

Wilford Floyd Wilks won a double at 60m hurdles and high jump and was also first Brit in the long jump.

60/200: G Minetti 7.62/24.97
400: R Bruce-Brand IRL 57.24; 3 S Baldock 58.89
800/1500: M Symes 2:11.21/4:27.88
60H/HJ: W Wilks 9.62/1.61
LJ: 1 O Van Zyl RSA 4.90; 3 Wilks 4.75
SP: J Twiddle 13.11

M60:

Rob McHarg dominated this age group but there was also a double for sprinter Anthony Burniston.

One of Britain’s greatest ever master high jumpers Steve Linsell showed the form that saw him win European silver last winter with a 1.58m leap.

Another runner-up in Toruń last year Allan Leiper was in good form in the shot.

60/200: A Burniston 7.92/26.11
400: W Odele 58.74
800: R McHarg 2:09.79
1500: 1 McHarg 4:20.32 (WR); 2 A Ridley 4:21.91
60H: N Tunstall 9.42
HJ: S Linsell 1.58
PV: J Andrews 3.00
LJ: A Waddington 4.60
TJ: A Pringle 10.15
SP:  A Leiper 14.20

M65:

Triple world masters outdoor sprint champion John Wright dominated with another super triple and he was close to his 58.12 British record in the longer event.

Dave Clarke who has moved into the age group this winter after winning European M60 medals last year at 800m, 1500m and 3000m gained an impressive double here.

60/200/400: J Wright 8.03/25.98/58.57
800/1500: D Clarke 2:25.89/5:03.43
60H: T James 9.56
HJ: S O’Keefe IRL 1.35; 2 I Torode 1.25
TJ: H Hopkins 9.32
SP: M Hausler 13.59
3000W: S Allen 18:13.90

John Wright (centre)

M70:

Ireland’s Joe Gough, who is one of the all-time masters greats, showed his lightning finishing speed at 800m and 1500m but narrowly fell short at 400m.

There Ian Broadhurst, who last summer won world masters titles at 400m and 300m hurdles, improved his UK record from 64.76 all the way down to 62.61.

Broadhurst also won the 200m and there were field doubles for John Spriggs and David Blunt.

60: D Hinds 9.02
200: I Broadhurst 27.47
400: 1 Broadhurst 62.61 (UK rec); 2 J Gough IRL 62.97
800: 1 J Gough IRL 2:35.19; 2 K Archer 2:41.04
1500: 1 Gough IRL 5:25.40; 2 D Bedwell 5:30.46
60H/TJ: 1 J Spriggs 3.61/7.77
HJ/PV: D Blunt 1.30/2.40
SP: T Straker 11.05

M75:

There were doubles for John Exley, Dave Cowley and Charles Ryder.

60/200: C Ryder 9.96/31.94
800: 1 D Jones 3:14.78
400/1500: J Exley 84.71/6:22.43
HJ: G Kitchener 1.10
60H/TJ: D Cowley 11.80/7.36
SP: G Tyler 10.72
3000W: P Boszko 18:32.47

M80:

European masters M75 bronze medalist Victor Novell went third all-time at 60m with 9.45 as he narrowly defeated British record-holder Allan Long.

World champion Pete Giles gained a comfortable 800m and 1500m double while Ron Davies won two field golds.

60: 1 V Novell 9.45; 2 A Long 9.47
200: 1 V Novell 34.43
400: 1 J Gibson Gribben 2:03.19
800/1500: P Giles 3:46.90/7:39.68
60H/HJ: R Davies 15.16/1.00
PV: M Herring 1.30
TJ: P Rees 4.57
SP: I Ivanovic 8.48

M85:

Roger Bruck smashed the British record in the high jump and also gained a sprint double while Tony Bowman, who hits the M90 category later in the year, also gained a double.

60/200/HJ: R Bruck 11.98/41.96/1.05
800: D Milsom 4:20.52
TJ/SP: T Bowman 4.54/4.28

M90:

Colin Spivey, who usually limits himself to parkruns (472 of his 475 performances on Power of 10) did his first recorded 200m and came within three seconds of the British record.

200: 1 C Spivey 54.97

W35

European Masters bronze medallist Kat Sutton was a clear winner of the 800m.

Wales’ Caryl Moore a 56.49 400m hurdles performer at her peak gained an impressive triple as she enjoyed her first outing in the masters winning at 200m, 400m and the hurdles.

European masters runner-up Stacey Downie was the fastest 60m runner with a 8.02 clocking.

Natalie Le Beau gained a field double.

60: S Downie 8.02
200/400/60H: C Moore 25.27/57.05/8.88
800: K Sutton 2:14.78
1500: E Ciesielska 4:58.43
PV: E Lyons 3.40
HJ/LJ: N Le Beau 1.45/4.87
SP: C Edwards 11.96
3000W: A Majewska-Ani 18:08.54

W40:

European Masters 3000m runner-up Laura Haggarty gained an impressive 800m and 1500m double while other double winners were world masters fourth-placer Lisa Boland and Lucinda Cash-Gibson at the hurdles and 400m.

60/200: L Boland 7.83/25.55
800/1500: L Haggerty 2:18.71/4:47.97
400/60H: L Cash-Gibson 60.24/9.42
PV: C Parkinson 3.10
HJ: K Morgan 1.40
LJ: E Fry 4.75
TJ: E Hand 10.05
SP: L Rann 10.52

W45:

Wales’ Clare Bryant was the only double winner in the age group.

The W45 800m British record-holder Zoe Doyle sharpened up for Florida with a clear 800m victory then chased home European masters silver medallist Susie McLoughlin at 400m.

60: K Burles 8.22
200: C Spurway 27.90
400: S McLoughlin 61.33
800: Z Doyle 2:22.72
1500: H Bough 5:10.27
60H/LJ: C Bryant 10.64/4.27
HJ: C Gratrix 1.35
PV: J Eastwood 2.20
TJ: E Murray 9.24
SP: E Gatrell 12.26
3000W: C Derbyshire 17:04.15

W50:

World masters shot champion Paula Williams also added the 60m and 60m hurdles titles to her victories.

W40 and W45 Pentathlon outdoor  world record-holder Di Norman showed her versatility with a 800m and high jump double and also set a 12.48m PB in the shot behind Williams.

Tracey Ashworth gained a 200m and 400m double and was a close second in the 60m to Williams.

60/60H: P Williams 8.41/9.84
200/400: T Ashworth 27.27/60.87
800/HJ: D Norman 2:32.82/1.45
1500: L Tait-Harris 5:24.85
LJ: N Ridge 4.30
TJ: J Quinn 9.01
SP: 1 Williams 13.80; 2 Norman 12.48
3000W: C Kwok 19:55.05

W55:

Christine Harrison-Bloomfield, who ran in the 1999 World Championships and has a 22.85 200m PB, gained a sprint double.

Kate Ramsey, who is the mother of Game of Thrones and The Last of Us actress Bella, won a middle-distance double although only won the 800m by seven hundredths of a second from Anna Critchlow.

Wendy Valentine also gained a winning triple, albeit unopposed.

Multiple world and European champion Irie Hill again impressed in the vault.

60/200: 1 C Harrison-Bloomfield 8.54/27.64
400: 1 E Viiklaid EST 68.05
800/1500: K Ramsey 2:40.59/5:27.04
60H/LJ/TJ: W Valentine 14.96/3.20/6.79
PV: I Hill 3.10
SP: S Van Vuuren 8.57
3000W: M Peddle 17:04.33

W60:

Multiple former world and European champion Virginia Mitchell easily won a 400m and 800m double while Julie Hicken won a sprint double.

The most successful athlete in the age group was Melanie Garland who won a jumps triple.

A week after breaking the W60 world  1500m record, Clare Elms initially attempted another record but drawn in the oldest women’s race which included W85 competitors, decided the multi lapping was not conducive to record breaking and eased back but she was still quicker than the W45 to W55 age groups.

60/200: J Hicken 9.15/30.28
400/800: V Mitchell 65.60/2:34.12
1500: C Elms 5:11.06
PV: R Zeffertt 2.30
HJ/LJ/TJ: M Garland 1.25/4.22/8.86
SP: S Vine 8.32
3000W: H Middleton 19:14.22

W65:

Karen Brooks, who had set a British record the week before, came close to her 5:33.55 with a 5:34.48 as she followed Elms home in the W60 plus race and but for having to run wide to lap runners  she would have almost certainly have broken the record.

Ireland’s Edel Maguire was first in three events highlighted by her 400m where she took on W60 Mitchell and fell less than a second short of the world W65 mark.

Jenny Brown was the top Brit at 200m and 400m and also won the triple jump.

200: 1 E Maguire IRL 30.14; 2 J Brown 33.64
400: 1 Maguire IRL 68.22; 2 Brown 77.50
800: L Jeffries 3:08.30
1500: K Brooks 5:34.48
60H: N Buckwell 12.76
60/PV: T Eades 10.11/2.10
HJ: 1 Maguire IRL 1.35; 2 J Ashton 1.10
LJ: J Pryce 3.29
TJ: J Brown 8.17
SP: C Cameron 9.00
3000W: S Payne 18:41.34

W70:

European masters champion Helen Godsell easily gained a sprint double and her 31.83 came reasonably close to her 31.17 set in winning in Toruń.

Former World and European champion Nancy Hitchmough also gained a middle-distance double.

European masters pole vault champion Sue Yeomans also was in good form.

60/200: H Godsell 9.40/31.83
800/1500: N Hitchmough 3:26.99/6:58.70
PV: S Yeomans 2.20
LJ: E McMahon 3.10
SP: C Marler 7.76
3000W: D Brian 19:14.16

Sarah Roberts (Cliff Hide)

W75:

Sarah Roberts and Moira West were in record-breaking form but it was Sally Hine who went home with most golds with wins in the long and triple jumps, hurdles and shot and she followed West home in the 60m for a silver.

60: M West 10.22
200: 1 M West 35.19 (UK rec); 2 S Roberts 36.24
400/800/1500: Roberts 81.45 (UK rec)/2:57.32 (WR)/5:58.15 (WR)
LJ/TJ/60H/SP: S Hine 2.86/6.17/26.58/6.30

W80:

Reigning world indoor 800m champion Iris Hornsey won a double while one of Britain’s most bemedalled throwers won another but her first indoor W80 gold having won five outdoor titles last summer.

400/800: 1 I Hornsey 1:57.32/4:37.02
SP: L Sissons 7.39

W85:

World champion Kathleen Stewart, runner-up in AW’s masters athlete of the year, and Betty Stracey both won doubles.

60: D Fraser 16.69
200/400: K Stewart 41.15/1:41.41
800/1500: B Stracey 5:31.77/11:10.59

» Subscribe to AW magazine here, check out our new podcast here or sign up to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here