Angela Copson

 

 

 

 

Angela only started running late in 2006 when she was 59 to raise money for heart research at the John Radcliffe hospital where her husband, Harry, had been treated in the cardiac ward, successfully, a short while before.
Angela’s first “fund raising” marathon was the 2007 London Marathon in which she did 3:57.  She said after this run “that with lots of chatting on the way, I am more than pleased with the time”. 
She enjoyed this race so much that she has continued running since then.  She joined Rugby & Northampton AC in August 2007 and with guidance from running friends she has made significant progress.  In 2008 she won the British Masters W60 cross country championship, a title which she retained in 2009.  Also in 2008 she ran 3:18: 29 gun time and 3:16:54 chip time in the London Marathon for a British W60 Best performance.  She lost this in September 2008 to another very fast 60 year old, Ann Furbank who ran 3:18:08 in the Berlin Marathon.  But Angela regained it in 2009 with 3:15:18 gun time and 3:14:51 chip time, again in the London Marathon.
Since then Angela has raced prolifically on the road, cross country and track and by early in 2010 holds five British Masters W60 track records at 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m plus six British W60 road Best performances including 5k, 5 miles, 10k, 10 miles, half marathon and of course the marathon.  Angela’s times at 3,000m and 5,000m on the track are World Masters W60 records.
Not surprisingly in the 2009 British Masters track and field rankings Angela is ranked first in all distances from 800m to 10,000m and second at 400m.   
Angela has represented Northamptonshire in the 2009 senior Inter-counties cross country championship, and in 2008 and 2009 the Midland Masters in the Masters Inter-area track and field match, and in 2008 and 2009 the English Masters in the home countries cross country international.  Angela won the W60 group in both of these cross country fixtures.
In the 2009 Masters Inter area track and field meeting Angela won the W60 800m in 2:42.9 which is a British Record and the 3,000m in 11:06.5 which is a W60 world record.  Angela’s winning time in the 2009 BMAF 5,000m Championship of 19:04.03 is also a W60 world record.

 

Personal Bests at 22/02/2010 achieved as a W60

Track

200m 34.7 13/08/08 Loughborough  
400m 75.2 14/09/08 Birmingham  
800m 2:42.9 16/08/09 Solihull British W60 Record
1500m 5:22.92 04/07/09 Birmingham British W60 Record
1 mile 5:48.0 12/07/09 Kettering  
3000m 11:06.5 16/08/09 Solihull World W60 Record
5000m 19:04.03 05/07/09 Birmingham World W60 Record
10000m 39:43.81 13/09/09 Oxford British W60 Record

 

Road

5K 19:24 22/06/08 Horwich British W60 Best
5 miles 31:39 02/08/09 Wellingborough British W60 Best
6 miles 38:38 19/05/09 Bedford  
10K 39:34 19/07/09 Magor Marsh British W60 Best
10 miles 68:01 11/10/09 Portland British W60 Best
Half Marathon 88:56 02/12/07 Norwich British W60 Best
Marathon 3:15:18 26/04/09 London British W60 Best

Championship Bests

Midland Masters W60      
Solihull 08/06/08 1500m 5:28.7
Solihull 08/06/08 5000m 20:06.7
Solihull 14/06/09 800m 2:43.1 CBP
Solihull 14/06/09 1500m 5:32.0
British Masters W60      
Horwich 22/06/08 5K road 19:24
Prestwold Hall 29/06/08 10K road 40:48
Birmingham 05/07/09 800m 2:43.62 CBP
Birmingham 04/07/09 1500m 5:22.92 BR
Birmingham 05/07/09 5000m 19:04.03 WR
Magor Marsh 19/07/09 10K road 39:34 CBP
Portland 11/10/09 10miles road 68:01
Stevenage 01/11/09 Half Marathon 89:31