While her daughter Ashley Estwanik was grabbing the headlines for breaking her own record on her way to a fourth Appleby Bermuda Half Marathon Derby title in seven years, mom Peggy Couper was setting a record of her own further down the field ... knocking an incredible 20 minutes off the women’s over 70s record.

Couper, who turned 70 in April, celebrated the milestone by breaking Margaret Burgess-Howie’s record of 2hr 21min 56sec set a year ago.

It was not even something she was aware of, she just wanted to mark her 30th participation in the race since her first in 1980 by going under the two-hour mark. What she got instead when she crossed the finish line was something even more astonishing.

“It was a tough run and I’m very fortunate to be able to do these things at my age, so I have to be thankful for that,” said Couper, who heard about her daughter’s record breaking achievement from relatives riding on a boat along Harbour Road at the 9½-mile mark.

“I was hoping to do just under two [hours] and made it in just over two, at 2:00.20 so I wasn’t that disappointed. It’s much tougher than the January half [marathon] because it is hillier, hotter and is a harder run, a toughie. This is my 30th, starting in 1980 and I missed a couple of races.”

While most people her age are putting their feet up and enjoying the day, Couper is showing no signs of slowing down.

“It never gets any easier as you get older and people have said ‘why don’t you relax and go a bit slower’ but the longer you are out there the longer the pain lasts,” is how she looks at it.

Couper has been in a record-breaking mood lately, having set a new mark for the over 70s women at the recent 10k Runway Run at Saint John Airport in New Brunswick.

“That was a complete surprise, I was just looking for company to go running and they said ‘oh, there’s a race on’, and I said ‘okay, I’ll do that then’. I just enjoy staying fit, I do go to the gym and cycle and running is just part of my routine, really. I guess I’m just blessed to be able to do these things, I guess I’ve got the genes because Ashley and Tyler are my daughter and nephew.

“It’s not just genetics but hard work and consistency, and both those kids work really hard for what they get, but I guess they are lucky to have the genetic make-up that they have.”

The Butterfield family is turning out to be a dominant family in Bermuda’s most popular race. Jim Butterfield, Couper’s younger brother, is an Olympic rower and former triathlete, sister-in-law Debbie is a multiple May 24 winner, while their sons are Spencer, a local runner, and Tyler, an Olympic triathlete who won this year’s May 24

Then there is Ashley and Chris Estwanik, a five-times May 24 winner, whose two children, Somers and Harrison, are athletically inclined.

“Her kids are really active and will probably be in the mix,” said their grandmother.

“She [Ashley] took it [running] on her own, but we encouraged the kids to be active and enjoy it. I was really surprised when she turned into a good runner, I didn’t know it was in her.”

When Couper came across the finish line she was reminded of Ashley’s record breaking by her grandson.

“It was the cutest thing, for a little boy of three to hear about somebody breaking something, they automatically think of something naughty,” she explained. “He came up to me with a puzzled look on his face and said ‘granny, mommy broke the record’ and he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

“I didn’t even tell him that granny broke the record as well. I didn’t have any idea what the record was, I just wanted to get to the finish with a smile on my face, if possible.”

Couper described the crowds as probably the best she has experienced. “The crowds were just phenomenal, I have never, ever seen anything like it and it carries you through, no question about it,” she said. “They were just great, shouting your name all the way.”

Next year she will look to do it all over again on a new course from St George’s.

“I’ve never come from the east so it will be kind of fun ... if I can hang in there in there for one more year,” said Couper. “I look at Margaret Burgess-Howie who is 74 and said to her ‘Margaret, if you can do it I’m going to do this’.”

Ashley is astonished at her mother’s longevity, with Stephen DeSilva of Bermuda Timing wondering if Estwanik will be running those times at the age of 70.

“I hope so, maybe one of the reasons she is still going strong is that she didn’t start until she was in her thirties,” said her daughter. “I’m hoping that’s my inspiration to keep going. Being 70 and being able to do that is amazing. It’s a big accomplishment.”

“Even from growing up it was never ‘Ashley, you need to win this’, that was never expected of me. It was always ‘just go out there and do your best’.

“We’re very careful not to talk about running [to Somers and Harrison] but we do want to encourage them to be active in some way for health reasons. As long as they have something to be interested in, if they don’t go towards sports.”

Judging from the atmosphere along the route this year, next year’s event from the east end has plenty to live up to.

“I’m kind of interested to see what a new course will do and who is going to be out there and what the times are going to look like,” said Estwanik, who will be out to defend her title.