A Wellington hairdresser is preparing to race in the first-ever British Milers Club (BMC) wave at the Vitality Westminster Mile this month.

World-record-breaking steeplechase runner Kirstie Booth is determined to defy her age and continue setting personal bests at the event on September 21.

She will run in London for the first time when she joins the BMC wave at the Vitality Westminster Mile, which is being held for the first time this year to mark the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister becoming the first person to run inside four minutes over the iconic distance.

The 46-year-old has taken a less-than-conventional route to top-level athletics, having been a full-time hairdresser in Wellington until she was 38.

Ms Booth said several health issues made her reconsider her career path, and 12 months later, she was competing in Half Ironman events and the Age Group World and European Championships overseas.

However, she soon found her strength lay in athletics and over middle-distance events specifically.

A member of Taunton Athletics Club, she has been whittling down her personal bests (PBs) over distances from 400m to 5K to the point where those times are not just PBs but national and world records.

In the past two years, she has set a new women’s over-45s British record for both the 1500m (4:33:11) and 3000m (9:51:45) indoors, and a world Masters record for 2000m steeplechase (6:50:81).

She has also won a gold medal at the European Masters Championships for 2000m steeplechase.

After recovering from a broken foot, Ms Booth is looking forward to testing herself alongside other Masters athletes at the 2024 Vitality Westminster Mile, albeit in an event that is new to her.

She said: "I have never really run a mile like this before, and what a great event to do it.

"I broke my foot earlier this year in training, and my season never truly got going.

"My love for the steeplechase brought me naturally to 1500m and one-mile running, and this is a great way to refocus as I return to full fitness.

"I have always wanted to run in London, and a road run made sense ahead of the back end of the season."

While Ms Booth ran at school, she did not return seriously to it until she turned to triathlon in her 30s.

She joined Taunton AC and made friends that inspired her to challenge herself and not let age prevent her from achieving her goals: "I am still setting PBs and assume I will keep improving.

"My coach and I don’t know what I would have been able to achieve in my youth, and that means I treat myself like a younger athlete looking for consistency and improvement now.

"I don’t think much about my age, unlike other people, because I don’t feel it when I run."

The Bannister wave, open to any BMC member aiming to run faster than 4:40 for men or 5:24 for women, will get underway at 2.20pm.

Prize money for the event is £1,000 for first place, £500 for second and £250 for third.

There's a bonus £250 for any man who runs inside four minutes, and any woman who can run faster than four minutes and 30 seconds.