55-year-old British masters runner throws down 4:38 mile

Last Wednesday in Ireland, the men’s 55+ indoor mile world record didn’t just fall, it was smashed.

Tony O’Brien of Liverpool, U.K., travelled to Dublin to break the men’s 55+ indoor mile mark of 4:39.84. He did just that and more, setting a new world record of 4:38.10 at Ireland’s National Indoor Arena.

Having to run from the front served to be no problem for O’Brien, who won the race by six seconds and eclipsed the previous record set seven years ago in London by fellow British masters miler Guy Bracken.

Running a sub-five-minute mile is impressive at any age, let alone at 55—a 4:38 mile is exceptional.

“A unique night in so many ways as a coach and athlete,” O’Brien wrote on Facebook afterward.

According to his Power of 10 profile, O’Brien has been in the sport since his early 20s and is a former 3:50 1,500m runner. The speedy middle-distance background seems to complement his efficiency and closing speed, still three decades later.

O’Brien’s time wasn’t the only world record performance of the night. Irish masters running icon Anne Gilshinan also rewrote the record books, lowering her own women’s 60+ indoor mile world record from 5:27.66 to 5:27.53. Gilshinan, who is coached by O’Brien, holds the indoor mile world records in both the women’s 55+ and 60+ age groups.

Both records are pending ratification by World Masters Athletics.