Since turning 60 last year, Scottish masters runner Robert McHarg has been on a record-breaking spree. Last week, McHarg set two new men’s 60+ world records in the span of just five days, rewriting the middle-distance record books in masters running.
On Feb. 12, McHarg shattered the M60+ indoor mile world record, running 4:50.45—five-tenths of a second faster than the previous mark of 4:50.95, set by American Nolan Shaheed in 2012. However, his moment of glory was short-lived. Just 10 minutes later, his friend and longtime rival Andrey Ridley bettered the time in 4:45.16, not just breaking, but smashing the record McHarg had just set.
Four days later, McHarg returned to the track with a point to prove at the England Masters AA Indoor Challenge in Edmonton, U.K. This time, there was no immediate heartbreak. The 60-year-old from Kilmarnock, Scotland, made history, becoming the first man over 60 to run an indoor 800m race under 2:10. He dominated the race, winning by 13 seconds and setting a new M60+ world record of 2:09.11.
After the race, McHarg took to social media, joking that he was “absolutely thrilled” to hold onto this record for more than 10 minutes—unlike his ill-fated mile mark, although his rivalry with Ridley isn’t over yet–the the two will face off this weekend at the British Masters Indoor Championships in the men’s 60+ 1,500m, where they’ll chase another historic mark: Shaheed’s longstanding M60+ record of 4:24.
2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for masters runners, with the World Indoor Masters Championships set for the end of March in Gainesville, Fla. McHarg, who won bronze in the 800m at last year’s outdoor world championships in Gothenburg, Sweden (2:10.45), will no doubt be looking to add another medal, or perhaps another record, to his name.
