Since the mid-1970s George Jones has competed in every single running of the May 24 Half-Marathon Derby road race.

It is likely that very few, if any, of the athletes in next Monday's 101st edition of the event can lay claim to such an extensive, unbroken set of back-to-back race appearances as Jones.

If you ask him why, having just celebrated his 73rd birthday, he still runs and competes in the Island's most popular – but nonetheless gruelling – road race, he replies: "I feel good about my running. It is something I could never stop. If I miss one day of running I feel like I have lost something. It has kept me healthy."

Recalling his first May 24 race experience, he said it was also the last time that an alternative to the current Somerset-Hamilton route was used. On that day runners headed east from the old national stadium to the finish line in St. David's. He remembers it being the year that the first woman to run officially – Merenette Bean, thereby identifying his own race debut as 1976.

Since then, the former bellman and doorman at the old Belmont Hotel – and latterly the Elbow Beach Hotel – has pulled on his running shoes for each subsequent Bermuda Day road race.

Before 1976, and despite being a cousin of six-time champion Ed Sherlock, Jones had not been a competitive runner. But he was inspired to compete after watching the likes of multiple winner Ray Swan, Calvin ('Baldy) Hansey, Ray Ming and Leon Matthews in their heyday doing battle in the late May heat and humidity.

"I used to watch Ed Sherlock and my cousins compete and then I thought 'I'm going to try that'," he said, recalling other greats of the past era including Peter Lever and Jim Butterfield.

In the early days his training consisted of only one day a week. He would cover between 10 and 12 miles every Friday, running from his home in Somerset to the Southampton Rangers ground on South Shore.

"I trained for a whole year. The race started in the old stadium and went out to St. David's. There were about 80 runners and it was very hot and 3 p.m. in the afternoon. No-one was allowed any drinks during the race, and you couldn't have your coach beside you (on a bike) until you reached Flatts," said Jones.

"When I started running I used to wear tennis shoes with the green on the bottom. I got a few blisters, but nothing too bad. That was until I got some proper running shoes."

He extended his training runs and would often run from the Belmont to Flatts Village or even Bailey's Bay. Often he would work on the morning of the May 24 race, then do the 13-mile event in the afternoon before returning to work the evening shift at the hotel.

He believes his fastest May 24 time was around one hour 45 minutes. Nowadays he is a regular at most of the Island's road races. He has also competed in 37 full marathons, many of them overseas, including 11 appearances in the New York Marathon.

But it is the May 24 race that is most special for him. And he intends to continue taking part and maybe one day equally legend 'Sir' Stanley Burgess' tally of Derby race appearances, which is generally thought to total 56.

Of the event's special nature, Jones said: "The cheering and clapping of friends and the crowd keep me motivated and keep me going."

He added: "I'll carry on running for as long as I can and run the race as many times as 'Sir' Stanley Burgess."

Last year the race organisers issued Jones with race number 72 to mark his age. He is waiting to see if he is given a similar gesture this time. He turned 73 last Friday.

Nowadays Jones trains twice a week mostly, running on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the Swans Running Club.

¦ This year's May 24 Half-Marathon Derby starts next Monday in Somerset at 9.30 a.m. The finish line is on Dutton Avenue, next to Bernard Park. Race number pick-up is this Saturday at Argus Group Insurance, on Wesley Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.