85-year-old Betty Stracey has sprinted her way into the record books, setting two new British records for the 800m and 1,500m races. A Lincoln native, Stracey clinched victories in the women’s 85 and over category at the British Masters Athletics event held in London. Stracey, who has been pounding the pavements for the past four decades, mentioned her introduction to track racing came about 25 years ago when a friend invited her to an indoor championship in Birmingham. Since then, she’s been a regular fixture on the track. The sprightly athlete not only participates in weekly local parkruns, but also competes in runs across the UK and beyond. ‘It offers me a breath of fresh air and an enjoyable time with my running mates,’ said Stracey. The record-setting runs took place in February at the Lea Valley Athletics Centre, where Stracey completed the 800m in a swift five minutes and 31.77 seconds, and the 1,500m in a mere 11 minutes and 11 seconds.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
