by 
A Wellington hairdresser is preparing to take part in the first ever British Milers Club (BMC) heat at the Vitality Westminster Mile this month.
World steeplechase champion Kirstie Booth is determined to defy her age and continue setting personal bests at the September 21 event.
She will race in London for the first time when she joins the BMC wave at the Vitality Westminster Mile, which is being held for the first time this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the day Roger Bannister became the first person to run under four minutes over the iconic distance.
At 46, she followed an unconventional path to elite athletics, having worked full-time as a hairdresser in Wellington until she was 38.
Ms Booth said several health issues led her to reconsider her career path and 12 months later she was competing in Half Ironman events and the World and European Age Group Championships overseas.
However, she quickly discovered that her strength lay in athletics, particularly in middle-distance events.
A member of Taunton Athletics Club, she has reduced her personal bests (PBs) over distances ranging from 400m to 5km to the point where these times are not just PBs but national and world records.
In the last two years she has set a new British record for women over 45 for the 1,500m (4:33:11) and 3,000m (9:51:45) indoors, as well as a Masters world record for the 2,000m steeplechase (6:50:81).
She also won a gold medal at the European Masters Championships for the 2000m steeplechase.
Having recovered from a broken foot, Ms Booth is looking forward to testing herself alongside other Masters athletes at the 2024 Vitality Westminster Mile, albeit in an event that is new to her.
She said: “I’ve never really run a mile like this before, and what a great event to do it.
“I broke my foot earlier this year in training and my season never really got going.
“My love of steeplechase has naturally led me to running the 1500m and mile, and it’s a great way to refocus as I get back to full fitness.
“I always wanted to race in London, and a road race made sense before the end of the season.”
Although Booth started running at school, she didn’t take it up seriously again until she turned to triathlon at age 30.
She joined Taunton AC and made friends who inspired her to challenge herself and not let age stop her from achieving her goals: “I keep setting personal bests and I guess I will keep improving.
“My coach and I don’t know what I could have accomplished in my youth, and that means I now see myself as a young athlete looking for consistency and improvement.
“I don’t think much about my age, unlike other people, because I don’t feel it when I run.”
The Bannister heat, open to any BMC member wishing to run faster than 4:40 for men or 5:24 for women, will start at 2:20 p.m.
The prize money for the event is £1,000 for first place, £500 for second and £250 for third.
There is a £250 bonus for any man who runs under four minutes and for any woman who can run faster than four minutes and 30 seconds.
