Defying age limits, reshaping the possible
Celebrating Grace Chambers, 97, on completing her 250th parkrun
At Exercise for Science, we're fascinated by the powerful ways physical activity boosts body and mind. And rarely does a story resonate more deeply than that of Grace Chambers, a 97-year-old Belfast woman who recently completed her 250th parkrun - a remarkable milestone earned nearly a decade after her very first one (as reported in The Guardian).
A decade of running - sparked by a challenge
Grace’s parkrun journey began in 2016, when she was recovering from leg surgery. Her daughter Michele dared her to try a local run at Ormeau Park - and with that, a new habit was born. Her first 5 km took 44 minutes and 54 seconds; by the next week, she'd shaved over six minutes off that time, finishing in 38:09.
Fast-forward to August 2025, and Grace has not only hit 250 runs - 245 of them at Ormeau Park - but she achieved this just four weeks after undergoing heart surgery.
Though ordered to rest, she only missed one week’s running. Her surgeon, Dr. Jonny Mailey, even came to cheer her on - and Grace grinningly told him she was “testing out his work.” Her pre-surgery time was 1 hour 6 minutes; she completed the 250th in 51 minutes - a triumph that highlights both her spirit and recovery.
This accomplishment hasn’t just made headlines—it’s made history. Grace now holds the record as Europe’s oldest Parkrunner to reach the 250-run milestone.
At Ormeau Park, she’s a living legend: volunteers and fellow runners cheer her on, and a bench honoring her achievement now sits proudly at the finish line.
Inspiration and motivation
As specialists in the science of exercise, here’s what we take from Grace’s story:
Physical activity supports recovery and resilience, even at advanced age. Her rapid recovery after heart surgery and return to parkrun underscores how movement promotes healing, cardiovascular strength and mental wellbeing.
Community is a powerful motivator. Grace emphasises that her weekly highlight isn’t just the run - it’s catching up with friends and forging connections. The social aspect of parkrun can be as beneficial as the physical challenge.
Goal-setting sustains motivation through transitions. Grace is now looking forward to completing 300 parkruns - and hopes to be the first centenarian at Ormeau to do so (The Guardian). Having something to strive toward keeps both body and brain engaged.
Age is not a barrier to impactful exercise. From her beginnings as a climber to becoming a parkrun icon in her 90s, Grace embodies how the benefits of physical movement accrue across a lifetime - from any starting point.
Her story is more than heartwarming - it’s a living case study of how regular exercise supports longevity, recovery and quality of life. It aligns beautifully with our mission at Exercise for Science: to highlight real stories where movement becomes medicine.
As Grace herself humbly puts it: “Many people do much more remarkable things than this, but if it inspires some people to start running, then that’s great.”
She’s a human reminder that it's never too late to begin something new and redefine what’s possible.