Geoff Moore will be attempting to cross the line of the YMCA Canberra half-marathon for the 29th time of the this weekend, after competing in its foundation race in 1970 at the age of 22.
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Moore is expected to be joined by over 500 runners at the 50th running of the half-marathon, after federal MP Andrew Leigh took out last year's race.
Moore admitted he hadn't even attempted any long distance races before the 1970 YMCA Canberra half-marathon.
"I was training for 800 metre races and I failed to break two minutes and I thought that all the work that I had done had resulted in nothing," Moore said.
"I just moved up into longer distances which I found were more enjoyable to train for."
Moore said the diversity of participants has been the biggest change he has noticed over the fifty editions of the race.
"[The biggest difference has been] the participation by a whole range of people," Moore said.
"It's not just the elite that do these type of things anymore. Which is a good thing of course, because that means that there are a lot of people are out exercising and getting fit."
Moore says he continues to maintain a healthy lifestyle with his running group and has been putting in a steady amount of training for this weekend.
"Keeping fit is good and I like the company. I have a running group called the 'The Speedy Geese' and I motivate them and they motivate me," Moore said.
"For the last eight months I haven't missed a day of running 5km or more.
"It's just keeping myself disciplined enough to go out and do something everyday."
Moore said that his ambitions for this years event are somewhat different to previous years, competing at the age of 71.
"In the previous times that I have done the half-marathon I have been ambitious to do well in my age group," Moore said.
"Hopefully I can finish it strongly and that hopefully I can run afterwards because I haven't done this sort of distance for a few years."
