Another world age-group mark for the prolific masters record-breaker
Clare Elms consolidated her position as Britain’s most prolific 1500m and mile age group record breaker when she improved her own W60 world record at 1500m on Tuesday (Aug 5) in Tonbridge, Kent, Steve Smythe reports.
In doing so she also strengthened her hold of being the world’s oldest woman to break five minutes as the 61-year-old ran 4:56.85 on a windy evening.
Last year, she was voted AW’s female masters athlete of 2024 but she appears to be on for an even better 2025.
Indoors she set world records at 1500m and 3000m and won six world masters golds this winter and this summer she has now set outdoor 1500m and mile world records and British records at 3000m and 5000m and 5km with the latter also being a world best.
With a strong wind, she was thinking she might have to attempt it in a different meeting with the wind reading showing -4.0 and -3.6m/sec in the 100m races immediately before the eight 1500m races began.
She also was disappointed pre race that the only master athlete entered – fellow V60 and a 3:42.6 1500m man and former UK champs medallist Graeme Saker had to withdraw which left her up against eight athletes all young enough to be her grandchildren!
The race was won by 13 -year-old Ted Vallins in a huge PB of 4:40.53 and her eldest competitor was 46 years her junior.
Despite running the first 300m at inside 4:50 pace (57.2) she was last on the opening lap before gradually closing on some of the slowing youngsters but it did mean running wide as she completed the two middle laps in 80.3 and 81.1 to be the leading woman in the race.
At this stage it looked like she would just miss out but she dug in well on the last lap to pick up to a 78.4 final circuit to improve on her 4:57.14 from Tooting last year.
Since breaking the W55 world 1500m record in 2019, Elms has shown remarkable consistency in her outdoor 1500m bests in the following years in defying age.
4:58.23 at 56 in 2020
4:58.45 at 57 in 2021
4:58.3 at 58 in 2022
4:57.10 at 59 in 2023 (world age 59 best)
4:57.14 at 60 in 2024 (world age 60 best)
4:56.85 at 61 in 2025 (world age 61 best)
Elms explained: “After breaking the records in 2019, I got various viruses and Covid and there was also lock down which stopped me building on my 2019 form but I feel I have caught up again now. I think in better conditions and with even pacing snd up against senior or vets I can go quite a bit faster if I stay healthy this year.”
She still holds all eight British age group records at 1500m and mile between the W45 and W60s but she also hopes to improve records at quite a few other events before moving up in distances over the autumn but it could include a tilt at medals over a range of events at the European Masters in Madeira later in October.
Later in the month she is part of a strong British team attempting to break the W60 4x800m world record alongside fellow record breaker Virginia Mitchell and world medallists Christine Anthony and Elke Hausler.
The fastest 1500m of the night was set by former English National cross-country champion James Kingston who blasted through 800m in 2:00 but eased back on the second half to 3:53.58.
