Jill Harrison has been selected to represent England – 36 years after making her international debut.
The remarkable 56-year-old athlete from Honiton will race for England in the British & Irish Masters Cross-Country Championships in Nottingham at the end of next month.
Selection continues Harrison's impressive record of representing her country in almost every year of her long career and one of which she is understandably very proud.
"I am very old school so I like to get into the national team for an international event whereas many of the new runners aren't so interested in that," said Harrison. "To get picked for the Masters International you have to send in your last few performances to the selectors and I nearly didn't bother as I hadn't broken 20 minutes for 5k and didn't think I deserved a place in the England team.
"But then I ran 19.58 for the Yeovilton 5k last month when I was also suffering from a stitch so at the last minute I decided to apply and made the team."
While Harrison would be embarrassed to be compared to Exeter Olympian Jo Pavey, there is no doubt she is cut from the same cloth in terms of her dedication and love of the sport and her continuing success yet again illustrates that when it comes to long distance running age is no barrier to success.
She showed that last year when winning the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m in the W50 age category at the World Masters Championships in Brazil, adding yet more medals to her bulging collection.
"I can't train as hard as I used to and self-preservation is more of a factor these days and trying to stay fit and healthy," said Harrison, who works on reception at Honiton Leisure Centre.
What has also changed beyond recognition since Harrison launched her career is the means by which selection is announced. She received an email confirming her place in the England team next month but when she made her international debut it was a much different world.
"I was a student at Birmingham University living in halls when I was first selected to run for England in 1978 and I remember receiving a telegram!" said Harrison.
"We had no phone where I lived and of course there were no mobiles or internet in those days. So the telegram was given to me saying I had been picked to run the 3,000m for England against France and Germany in Strasbourg and my teammates were Joyce Smith and Glenys Penny.
"So 36 years on I am delighted to be still making international teams and I am really looking forward to the event in Nottingham."
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