Flaherty family run their way into the record books
A CHEMISTRY teacher and mother-of-two looks set to add a world record to an already impressive marathon running résumé.
Sarah Flaherty, Head of Year 12 and Teacher of Chemistry at Bradford Grammar School, this month competed in the 2025 New York City Marathon, finishing 2011th overall out of 59,133 runners and 6th in her 50–54 age category. Her time of 2:57:48 on the famously challenging, hilly course secured her automatic qualification for the 2026 Chicago Marathon.
Just weeks earlier, in September, Sarah, 51, and her daughter Rebecca Flaherty, who studies at the University of Oxford and competes for England at U23 level, ran the Great North Run, setting a new Guinness World Record for the fastest half-marathon by a mother and daughter team.
Together, they completed the 13.1-mile course in a combined time of 2 hours 44 minutes 19 seconds, beating the previous world record of 2:52:53. Sarah ran in 1:25:31, with Rebecca finishing in 1:18:48. Her son, Alex Flaherty, also ran, completing the race in 1:21:56. The record is currently awaiting official verification by Guinness.
"Crossing the line in the Great North Run and realising we’d set a world record together was an incredible moment," said Sarah. "And just last weekend, running the New York City Marathon, with the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline around me, was another unforgettable experience – the crowds, the bridges, the adrenaline – it reminded me how lucky I am to be able to do this."
Sarah, from Menston, has previously completed the London Marathon three times and clocked 2:54:50 at the Berlin Marathon last year, finishing 5th in her age group. Her training routine includes running 11km into school several times a week and long weekend runs.
"Running is both a mental and physical challenge," she said. "It keeps me sane, gives me time to think and helps me process the day and plan for the next.”