If the BBC did an older persons' Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY), Sarah Roberts would be a super-shoe-in for the title!

Unfortunately, SPOTY is for contemporary and rising sporting stars, and none of this year's shortlist could hold a candle to the volume and quality of achievements of the energetic 75-year-old grandmother of five, who has just been voted British Female Masters Athlete of the Year by the knowledgeable readers of Athletics Weekly.

Roberts, who races for Dacorum AC in Hemel Hempstead and her area Masters club Southern Counties Veterans AC, has not just broken records but revised what was thought possible since turning 75 in October last year.

The former solicitor and mother of two has transformed her previously sporadic gym-based fitness regime since retiring by taking up running seriously in her 70s. Perhaps benefitting from no running injuries and the impetus of the fresh challenge, Roberts set over a dozen world records in the past 12 months, including improving her own world best for 5 miles in the Hatfield 5 from 37:45 in December 2024 to 37:13 earlier this month.

It was a parkrun on holiday in South Africa that inspired Roberts to take up running. She was quickly hooked and has since notched up 241 runs, with 101 at St Albans parkrun, improving from 29:08 at Gadebridge in March 2017 to a best of 21:24 at Rickmansworth in November 2024 – worth 113.32% on parkrun's age-grading system!

In 2025, Roberts broke the world W75 masters records for 800m, 1500m, and 3000m indoors and outdoors; one mile, 5000m, and 10,000m on the track, and 5K and 10K on the road. Her W75 road record is 21:28; her 10K mark is 45:18. On the track, her equivalent times are 21:25.8 for 5000m, and 45:59.8 for 10,000m! For full details of Sarah Roberts' meteoric progression, visit the Power of 10 website here...

So what's the next challenge for the modest grandmother from Hertfordshire? In a recent interview with Athletics Weekly, Roberts indicated that after chasing times on the track and road, she might try cross country running, saying: “I think I’ll try to do some cross country for my club because I have steered clear of those in the past as I was always a bit worried about getting injured. Because I wanted to try for records, I certainly didn’t want to get injured, but the pressure is off a bit now.”

runABC wishes Sarah the very best of luck for 2026, and enjoy your cross-country running!

Image of Sarah Roberts in the 2025 World Indoor Championships courtesy of Dacorum AC