Peggy Couper has set an age-group record for the province of New Brunswick after winning the over 70 age category in the Marathon By The Sea at the weekend.

Couper, the mother of Ashley Estwanik, the May 24 women’s champion, finished her half-marathon race in a time of 2hr 1min 12 sec, shattering the previous record by more than five minutes.

The 70-year-old said that she was eligible for the record as she was born in New Brunswick.

“I was born in Saint John in New Brunswick and they wouldn’t have accepted the record if I wasn’t a Canadian citizen,” said Couper, who knocked 20 minutes off the women’s over 70s record in this year’s May 24 race.

“I do have strong ties with New Brunswick and it’s a race I’ve done many times, although they keep on changing the course.”

Couper said that this year’s course was particularly gruelling.

“It was a very hilly course and technically very difficult,” Cooper said.

“There were boardwalks, dirt pathways and it was hard to get into a stride because of all the changes.”