World records from W60 Clare Elms, W75 Sarah Roberts and M60 Rob McHarg at the British Masters Inter Area Match in Lee Valley

In an astonishing week for world records, British masters added to the record-breaking with three marks at Lee Valley on Sunday (Feb 16) after three earlier ones on Wednesday at the Ayo Falola mile, Steve Smythe reports.

This time it was W60 Clare Elms, W75 Sarah Roberts and M60 Rob McHarg who added world records to those set by McHarg and Andrew Ridley at the mile and Kojo Kyereme at 800m at the same venue a few days earlier.

Elms was first to run with the W60 dropping down age groups to represent Veterans AC W35 team at 1500m. After a slow start she followed the leaders through 800m in 2:40 and looked well on course for breaking her own indoor world record of 5:05.44 set a year earlier but was wary having been balked in her two previous indoor races late on while on record schedule.

On the closing lap, the leaders, led by Roanna Vickers, pulled away with Vickers timing 4:54.3 with Elms recording 5:03.1 for a two second improvement. The electronic timing had failed during the race but there was sufficiently qualified timekeepers to get the mark ratified.

Not long after it was Roberts' turn in the W70 race. Her target was 6:47.04 by Austrian Melitta Czerwenka-Nagel from 2006.

Roberts had run 5:56.08 in the outdoor Inter Area match in September and she looked on course for a sub-six here but running entirely solo had to settle for 6:05.90 and a mere 41-second improvement on the world record.

Following her home were Olympian Yuko Gordon (a W70) and previous British record-holder and all time great Angela Copson who just missed her previous UK  best with 6:56.71.

Roberts also won the 800m in 3:05.22.

The third world mark fell to Scot McHarg. On Wednesday he had broken the M60 mile world mark for it to be beaten in the very next race by his friend and rival Andrew Ridley.

Ridley was absent here but McHarg knew that the 2:11.20 by American Anselm LeBourne in 2020 was within his range as he had run European and UK records of 2:11.52 and 2:11.46 this winter.

With no one to push him he knew it was going to be a solo effort and he pushed through halfway in just under 64 seconds though as he hit the bell in 97 it looked like the lack of opposition was going to cost him but he kicked well on the last lap to run 2:09.11 to take over two seconds off of the American's mark.

He won by over 13 seconds.

There was also a British W65 record in the W60 1500m for Karen Brooks with 5:33.55 which improved on Copson's 5:36.88 from 2013.

In the field, Paula Williams improved her W50 shot record to 13.98m and she also won the 60m in 8.52. It was an outright shot PB for Williams who had thrown 13.96m in winning the world masters title in Gothenburg last summer.

John Browne went second all-time in the M70 60m with a big win in 8.29.

A number of world or European masters champions were in good form. Helen Godsell won a W70 sprint triple in 9.40/32.12/85.56 while M65 John Wright won the M60 200m and 400m in 25.72 and 58.11.

M45 Mensah Elliott won the M35 hurdles in 8.17 ahead of former senior star and World Championships fourth-placer Will Sharman who ran 8.41 and is now in the M40 category.

Jane Horder won the W60 60m hurdles in 10.26 which was significantly quicker than her winning time in last year's Europeans.

Di Norman won a W50 hurdles (9.96) and long jump double (4.73m).

In the younger age groups there were impressive wins for M35 sprinter Byron Robinson in 7.34 at 60m and 22.77 at 200m and M35 Chris Loudon ran a solo 4:05.05 at 1500m.

Men: 1 Mid 297; 2 East 282.50; 3 SCVAC 274; 4 Vets 260; 5 Wales  176; 6 Scot 154.5; 7 North 142; 8 South West 138; 9 Northern Ire 90:
M35: 60: 1 B Robinson (SCVAC) 7.34; 2 A Meikle (Vets, M40) 7.52
200: 1 Robinson 22.77; 2 A Spour (East, M40) 23.83
400: 1 S Wilcockson (Mid) 53.73; 2 A Bellis (SCVAC, M45) 53.96
800: 1 D Acheson (SCVAC, M40) 2:03.80, 2 S Brown (Sco, M40) 2:11.77
1500: 1 C Loudon (Sco) 4:05.05; 2 O Williams (Wal) 4:16.56
60H: 1 M Elliott (SCVAC, M45) 8.17; 2 W Sharman (Mid, M40) 8.41
HJ: 1 D Lui (East) 1.83; 2 M Beer (Nth, M40) 1.70
PV: 1 B Ahmet (Vets, M40) 3.80; 2 G Stirling (SCVAC, M45) 3.30; 3 D Hateley (Mid, M55) 3.00
LJ: 1 N Barton (SCVAC, M40) 6.11; 2 J Poxon
(Mid, M40) 5.74
TJ: 1 Stirling (M45) 12.01; 2 Poxon (M40) 11.56
SP: 1 S Brown (Mid) 11.35; 2 M Hall (East) 10.99
2kmW: 1 J Dumelow (Mid, M40) 12:05.27; 2 S Uttley (SCVAC, M65) 12:07.43
4x200: 1 SCVAC 1:37.69; 2 Mid 1:39.42

M50:
60: 1 J Wood (SCVAC) 7.53; 2 G Minetti (Vets, M55) 7.69; 3 R Whiting (Wal, M55) 7.69
200: 1 Minetti (M55) 24.86; 2 M Tarnawsky (Sco) 25.04
400: 1 A Cameron (Sco) 56.55; 2 G Asbury (Mid) 56.75
800: 1 A Parmenter (East) 2:08.98; 2 G Barrie (Sco) 2:09.27
1500: 1 B Brodie (Sco) 4:24.41; 2 S Coombs (East) 4:25.00
60H: 1 G Smith (East) 8.98; 2 A Lombard (Vets) 9.96
HJ: 1 A Lombaard (Vets) 1.65; 2 J McGregor (Sco, M55) 1.50; 3 A Young Johnson (Mid, M55) 1.50
PV: 1 R Kingman (East) 3.80; 2 D Pearson (SW, M55) 3.50
LJ: 1 C Beecham (SCVAC) 5.68; 2 Y Opaleye (East) 5.31
TJ: 1 V Ramsay (Vets) 10.39; 2 G Asbury (Mid) 9.62
SP:  1 S McCauley (SW) 14.44; 2 S Achurch (East) 12.80; 3 J Twiddle (Nth, M55) 12.66
2000W: 1 T Jones (Vets, M65) 11:53.61; 2 M Culshaw (SCVAC, M55) 12:12.26
4x200: 1 Mid 1:47.48; 2 Vets 1:49.19

M60:
60: 1 B Steene (Vets) 8.17; 2 R Huskisson (East, M65) 8.22
200: 1 J Wright (Nth, M65) 25.72; 2 S Beak (SCVAC) 27.48; 3 T James (East, M65) 27.51
400: 1 Wright (M65) 58.11; 2 W Odele (SCVAC) 59.19; 3 R White (Mid, M65) 59.86
800: 1 R McHarg (Sco) 2:09.11 (world rec), 2 S Corfield (Vets) 2:22.14; 3 D Clarke (NI, M65) 2:25.35
1500: 1 Clarke (M65) 4:54.51; 2 J Burrell (SCVAC) 4:54.78
60H: 1 D Wilkinson (East) 9.84; 2 A Pringle (Sco) 10.68
HJ: 1 A Pringle (Sco) 1.40; 2 J Boxall (Mid) 1.38
LJ: 1 Pringle 4.49; 2 R Emptage (SCVAC) 4.43
SP: 1 M Fox (Mid) 14.59; 2 A Leiper (SCVAC) 13.78
2000W: 1 R Singh (Mid, M70) 12:03.34; 2 C Harle (East, M65) 12:09.40
4x200: 1 Wal 1:54.37; 2 Vets 1:55.01

M70:
60: 1 J Browne (East) 8.29; 2 I Broadhurst (Wal) 8.65; 3 C Monk (Mid) 8.78; 6 V Novell (SCVAC, M80) 9.62
200: 1 Broadhurst 27.59; 2 Browne 30.00; 6 Novell (M80) 34.71
400: 1 T Carter (Vets) 74.30; 2 D Oxland (Mid) 74.47
800: 1 K Archer (SW) 2:45.24; 2 J Skelton (East) 2:47.88
1500: 1 Skelton 5:33.41; 2 Archer 5:35.19; 3 D Jackson (Mid) 5:42.11
HJ: 1 D Talbot (SCVAC) 1.29; 2 D Cowley (Mid, M75) 1.20
LJ: 1 Carter 3.87; 2 R Singh (Mid) 3.77
SP: 1 G Tyler (East, M75) 10.68; 2 P Hawney (Wal, M75) 9.02

Women: 1 Mid 281; 2 East 260; 3 SCVAC 260; 4 Wales 258; 5 Vets 232; 6 North 204; 7 NI 94; 8 South West 63; 9 Scot 11
W35:
60: 1 L Boland (SCVAC, W40) 7.87; 2 N Adusei (Nth, W46) 8.38
200: 1 R Williams (Wal) 25.40; 2 Boland (W40) 25.50
400: 1 S Coote (Wal, W40) 60.85; 2 L Amos (Vets, W45) 62.00
800: 1 G Dobbs (Wal, W40) 2:28.16; 2 K Spencer (Mid, W40) 2:29.94
1500: 1 R Vickers (East) 4:54.3; 2 H Slade (SW) 4:54.9; 3 E Raven (Nth, W40) 4:56.6; 4 M Shaw (Mid, W45) 5:01.3; 5 C Elms (Vets, W60) 5:01.3 (world W60 rec)
60H: 1 C Williams (East) 9.00; 2 C Palfreyman (Vets) 10.50
HJ: 1 N Le Beau (East) 1.40; 2 K Morgan (Wal, W40) 1.40
PV: 1 S Yeomans (SCVAC, W70) 2.11; 2 R Hartshone (Mid) 1.91
LJ: 1 E Fry (SCVAC, W40) 4.69; 2 Le Beau 4.46
TJ: 1 Le Beau 9.49; 2 C Bryant (Wal, W45) 8.54
SP: 1 C Burrows (NI, W40) 8.24; 2 N Mann (Vets, W40) 7.96
2000W: 1 C Derbyshire (Mid, W45) 10:57.03; 2 H Middleton (East, W60) 12:48.59
4x200: 1 Wal 1:50.84; 2 East 1:54.03

W50:
60: 1 P Williams (Mid) 8.52; 2 J Sidney (Wal, W55) 8.80
200: 1 S Loades (Vets) 28.40; 2 J Quinn (Mid) 29.14; 3 Sidney (W55) 29.52
400: 1 Loades 64.03; 2 S Wilkinson (Nth) 64.33
800: 1 S Davies (SCVAC) 2:34.52; 2 S Lamb (Vets) 2:35.79
1500: 1 Davies 5:14.21; 2 K Ramsey (Mid, W55) 5:18.47
60H: 1 D Norman (SCVAC) 9.96; 2 Loades 10.10, 3 P Williams 10.23
HJ: 1 J Quinn (Mid) 1.35; 2 M Garland (Wal, W60) 1.30
PV: 1 R Zeffertt (Vets, W60) 2.41; 2 T Carter (SW) 2.21
LJ: 1 Norman 4.73; 2 Quinn 4.10; 3 Garland (W60) 4.03
TJ: 1 Quinn 9.08; 2 N Ridge (Vets) 9.05; 3 Garland (W60) 8.62
SP: 1 P Williams 13.98 (UK rec); 2 S McGrath (East) 10.18
2000W: 1 G Manzotti (SCVAC, W55) 10:50.03;  2 K Wilton (NI) 13:31.83
4x200: 1 SCVAC 2:04.74; 2 Vets 2:08.63

W60:
60: 1 J Willoughby (Mid) 9.11; 2 J Hicken (Nth) 9.18
200: 1 Hicken 30.54; 2 S Frisby (Mid) 31.44
400: 1 C Anthony (East) 72.08; 2 J Brown (SCVAC, W65) 76.59
800: 1 V Mitchell (Vets) 2:33.65; 2 Anthony 2:54.79
1500: 2 K Brooks (East, W65) 5:33.55 (UK W65 rec); 2 J Fabes (SCVAC, W65) 6:13.91
60H: 1 J Horder (Mid, W65) 10.26; 2 N Buckwell (Wal,W65) 12.90
HJ: 1 S Richardson (Nth) 1.17; 2 T Eades (SCVAC, W65) 1.14
LJ: 1 Willoughby 4.09; 2 Richardson 3.49
SP: 1 Brown (W65) 9.00; 2 J Roginski (Mid, W65) 8.57
2000W: 1 M Noel (Vets) 12:42.65; 2 D Brian (Mid, W70) 12:45.24
4x200: 1 East 2:20.18; 2 SCVAC 2:24.16

W70:
60: 1 H Godsell (SCVAC) 9.40; 2 G Smith (Mid) 10.02
200: 1 Godsell 32.12; 2 R Townsend-Hope (Wal) 36.95; 3 S Hine (Mid, W75) 37.10
400: 1 Godsell 85.57; 2 A Garnier (Vets) 86.86; 4 A Copson (Mid, W75) 95.01
800: 1 S Roberts (SCVAC, W75) 3:05.22; 2 Y Gordon (East) 3:18.17; 3 Copson (W75) 3:32.41
1500: 1 Roberts (W75) 6:05.90 (World W75 rec); 2 Gordon 6:30.94; 3 Copson (W75) 6:56.71
HJ: 1 Hine (W75) 0.99; 2 Townsend-Hope 0.90
LJ: 1 E McMahon (East) 2.96; 2 Hine (W75) 2.60; 3 Roberts (W75) 2.27