At 97 years old, Grace Chambers has become Europe’s oldest runner to reach her 250th run milestone. Grace had heart surgery four weeks ago, but that didn’t stop her from taking part in the 5K run at Ormeau Park in south Belfast. "I feel glad I've done it as there was always a possibility that I wouldn't, but I never look negatively at things; if I set a goal I try to achieve it and if I don't do it the first time I try it again and again and again," she said. Grace’s journey began when she was 88 and recovering from surgery. A staff member on her rehabilitation team, who volunteered at the Ormeau Park marathon, suggested she might enjoy coming along. With a bit of encouragement from her daughter, Grace went to her first run in 2016 and became the talk of the event. After that, Grace became a regular at the community event and broke numerous records for runners in her age category. The former teacher, who professed a love of mountain hiking and golf, said not even suspension of the marathons during the pandemic slowed her down. Grace now has a bench named after her on the finish line in Ormeau Park, with a plaque that says: “Grace’s Bench, Park Runner Extraordinaire.” Grace's preparations for her 250th run hit a snag when she had a heart surgery, but she only missed one week during her recovery. "I told the surgeon I was going to test out his work. I've got a new valve, why would I not use it?" she said. "She's fantastic and what she has achieved is unbelievable,” said Dr. Jonny Mailey at the cardiology unit at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital. Meanwhile, Grace is busy preparing for run her 251st run, and there’s no doubt she will make it.
