“It’s harder than you think” so says the Killer Mile female record holder, Shireen Higgins (formerly Barbour).
Running for the famous club Birchfield Harriers at the time, she set a record of 7:54 minutes back in 1992, a record that incredibly still stands today.
33 years on, Shireen, who was then living in Sutton Coldfield, can still remember the race like it was yesterday.
“Most races, you get to see the route first, so you know what you’re up against, but with the Mow Cop Killer Mile, you couldn’t do that because of the layout, so you were going in blind almost.
I honestly thought it was going to be much easier than it was and expected to finish it in about seven minutes, but I was almost a minute longer.
It’s when you turn the corner for the last 400 metres that it becomes the hardest because it’s such a steep incline. Nothing you can do as a runner can prepare you for that.
It’s a real challenge but a fantastic experience and one I’ll never forget. Back then, you won a computer hard drive or tower if you came first, and that’s why I decided to enter!
I can’t believe the record still stands after all these years. I wonder if 2025 is the year a new record is set,” she added.
Now living in Berkshire, Shireen is still involved in running and coaches at Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow Athletics Club. She only ever ran the Mow Cop Killer Mile once.
The men’s race record is held by Bashir Hussain, who ran the Killer Mile back in 1991 at an incredible time of 6:12, solidifying his place in the race’s history.
This year, thanks to our sponsors, £1,000 is up for grabs for whoever beats the female or male record. Could it be you?