Harborough Athletic Club's Karen Brooks smashes 800m world indoor masters record

The long saving veteran middle distance runner who is a second claim member of Harborough Athletic Club (HAC) had a brilliant start of the new 2025 track and field season at the English Institute of Sport Indoor Arena in Sheffield.
The competition which counted as part of the British Masters Indoor Track and Field championships is specifically for senior athletes aged 35 upwards.
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Hide AdBrooks who competed in her fisrt race of the season showed remarkable tenacity to break the previous indoor two lap record of 2.44.35 set by Kathryn Martin of the USA in 2017.
The long saving and avid middle distance runner found herself in the mix of much younger athletes who included her Corby AC colleague Maria Shaw.
The had got the opportunity to run togther, but Shaw, another profilific runner eventually sped to the front to her master’s 45-age group title with a season’s world lead time of 2:24:70.
Shaw used the race as part of her preparations for next month's World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships to be held in Florida in the USA.
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Hide AdBrooks’s commendable performance in Sheffield caught of the eye of the selectors by choosing her to be part Eastern region team to compete at the upcoming British Indoor track and field championships at Lee Valley in London.
At the Sheffield event, another HAC member, Sheila Berry raced in the women 55-age group to win the 60m sprint with a personal time of 10:03.
Three other Harborough runners competed at North Midlands Counties Cross Country championships at Mallory Racing Park Circuit near Hinckley.
Alfie Boulton, one of the club’s top runners decided to race at the last minute in the men’s senior 12k race. He finished 73rd in 45:41. Dan Perrin, a regular cross country runner placed 145th in the senior men’s race in 52:21. Maxine Ward finished 89th in 38:49 in the women’s senior 8k race.
The runners in 10 different age gropu races braved the cold weather, tough climbs and muddy patches along the tough course.