Athlete aged 85 sets two British running records

Betty Stracey (right) has been running for the last 40 years

An 85-year-old athlete has set two British records for the 800m and 1,500m.

Betty Stracey from Lincoln won the races in the women 85 and over category at the British Masters Athletics event in London.

Mrs Stracey said she had been running for about 40 years and was a member of a road running club.

She said she started track racing after a friend invited her to go and keep her company at an indoor championship in Birmingham about 25 years ago.

She told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: "I said I'm only going if I do something. I've being doing it ever since."

Mrs Stracey attends a local parkrun every week and has also taken part in them in other parts of the UK and other countries.

"It gets you out in the fresh air," she said.

"It probably does me good and also the group of friends I have are a completely different set of friends to everything else.

"We just get together usually twice a year for the indoor and outdoor championships."

Mrs Stracey set the record in February at the Lea Valley Athletics Centre, completing the 800m in five minutes and 31.77 seconds and the 1500m in 11 minutes and 11 seconds.

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