'i Certainly Showed Them' - 97-year-old Runner Breaks Parkrun Record

Grace Chambers, aged 97, has go Europe's oldest Parkrunner to scope nan 250 tally milestone.

She has conscionable completed nan 5k tally astatine Ormeau Park successful southbound Belfast.

Grace had bosom room 4 weeks agone but that didn't extremity her taking portion successful nan tally connected Saturday.

On completing nan tally Grace said she was "over nan moon" to person finished.

"I consciousness gladsome I've done it arsenic location was ever a anticipation that I wouldn't but I ne'er look negatively astatine things, if I group a extremity I effort to execute it and if I don't do it nan first clip I effort it again and again and again," she said.

For galore people, ne'er mind an 88-year-old recovering from serious, invasive surgery, moving is not apical of nan to-do list.

But Grace's Parkrun travel began erstwhile a unit personnel connected her rehabilitation team, who volunteered astatine Ormeau Parkrun, suggested she mightiness bask coming along.

With a spot of encouragement from 1 of her daughters, Grace went to do her first Parkrun successful 2016 and said she became nan talk of nan event.

"Everyone kept saying: 'This female successful her 80s has turned up reasoning she tin do a parkrun.' Well I surely showed them," she said, laughing.

Grace became a regular astatine nan organization arena and collapsed galore records for runners successful her property class successful her first year.

"I conscionable emotion it, each nan group you meet, it's conscionable awesome - group from each complete Northern Ireland travel and operation astatine Parkrun and you wouldn't person had group from each nan communities mixing for illustration that erstwhile I was increasing up," she said.

The erstwhile teacher, who professed a emotion of upland hiking and golf, said not moreover nan suspension of Parkruns successful 2020 owed to nan Covid pandemic slowed her down.

"I conscionable went down and did it myself anyway," she said.

Grace recorded each of her times and sewage her girl to nonstop them each to Parkrun afterwards.

"I've astir apt done a batch much than 250 Parkruns, but nan ones during Covid don't count," she added.

Not moreover a surgery leg, suffered while retired stepping during nan pandemic, stopped her, arsenic she bounced consecutive backmost to Parkruns aft recovering.

She's now assisted astir nan people by her 2 friends Cathy and Sue.

"I wouldn't beryllium present without them, they return maine to nan tally each week and spell information pinch me."

Grace now has a chair named aft her connected nan decorativeness statement pinch a a plaque that says "Grace's Bench, Park runner extraordinaire".

On a emblematic week, you'll find Grace sitting connected it aft nan tally posing for photos pinch her fans.

Lots of group person travel to sojourn Grace complete nan years including nan Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes, who ran alongside her.

"Kelly wanted to talk arsenic we were going information nan people truthful I had to say, travel connected Kelly, you're holding maine back."

Grace's preparations for her 250th tally deed a snag erstwhile she had a bosom room 4 weeks ago, but she only missed 1 week during her recovery.

Grace's preparations for her 250th tally deed a snag erstwhile she had a bosom room 4 weeks ago, but she only missed 1 week during her recovery.

"I told nan surgeon I was going to trial retired his work, I've sewage a caller valve, why would I not usage it," she said.

Dr Jonny Mailey, from nan cardiology portion astatine Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, performed nan keyhole valve replacement connected Grace successful July and came on to support her run.

"She's awesome and what she has achieved is unbelievable," he said.

"It really is testament to her arsenic a person."

Deirdre McConvey, 1 of nan unpaid tally board astatine Ormeau Parkrun, said Grace has "become a section legend".

"We've had visitors travel specially to meet her, cipher smiles broader than Grace.

"Her warmth and friendliness has endeared her to each nan regulars who emotion to cheer her complete nan decorativeness line, particularly connected her birthday.

"Her grit and determination are decidedly inspiring and sometimes rather humbling."

Belfast South MP Claire Hanna is besides a regular Parkrunner and shouted Grace on.

"Congratulations to nan inimitable Grace," she said.

"What an inspiration she is to truthful many."

However, Grace doesn't really understand nan fuss complete her Parkrun record.

"So what!" she said.

"Many group do overmuch much singular things than this, but if it inspires immoderate group to commencement moving past that's great.

"I conscionable dream I get a bully clip connected Saturday pinch everyone watching me."