South Kent Harriers’ Margaret Connolly preparing to race for England again after call-up for October’s MBNA Chester Marathon

Margaret Connolly would love to keep running for years to come yet, ahead of her latest invitation to run for England.

The South Kent Harriers runner, who lives on Blean, has been selected for the England Athletics Age Group marathon team to compete at the 2023 MBNA Chester Marathon after she achieved masters qualification at the Manchester Marathon.

Now 65, it’s a second England call-up for Connolly, and she has no plans to hang up her running spikes any time soon.

“I will just keep running,” she said. “I would love to be running when I’m 80 - seriously. I’m quite lucky. I don’t overdo the training. I listen to my body and so I don’t tend to get injured.”

Connolly got her first England call-up in 2017 having started running in 2009.

She said: “I had my first marathon eight years ago this month in May, 2015. I ran quite a good time for my age. The third I ran was Chester. After I ran Chester in 2016, I got an email from England Athletics.

“I thought someone was pulling my leg. So I played along with it - I said ‘I would love to represent England, tell me more’. But then they replied and I realised it was real. I thought that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But six years on, I’m running for them again in a marathon.”

Connolly made the MBNA Chester Marathon on Sunday, October 8, by running 4hr12min17sec in Manchester.

She managed to run that time despite contracting Covid weeks before the race.

“I cannot wait,” she enthused. “I’m just beyond excited. I will not start training properly until July so I will just tick over until then. I’m so excited about it, especially with the age I’m at.

“I had to run 4:30.00 and be in the top three English-registered athletes. I ran 4:12.17.

“When I entered Manchester, I thought it