A year ago, when he was 69, Antun Duzevic not only completed the Bermuda Marathon — he was the fastest Bermuda resident to do so and claimed a coveted award.

Whether he can do so again on Sunday remains to be seen. Duzevic has now joined the 70+ brigade but says he feels much younger. He started running when he was around 38. At the time he was overseeing the former Romanoff Restaurant in Hamilton.

“We had about 40 staff and three or four of them were really good athletes and I used to get teased by them saying I couldn’t run. So to prove to them, I did run and entered a few triathlons,” he said. “I realised it was a good way to get rid of stress and I started to feel good because I ran.”

Duzevic came to Bermuda in 1970 and practically every day since has swum a mile in the ocean at Elbow Beach as part of his fitness routine. “By nature I’m very active,” he explained. Since taking up running he has amassed many trophies and turned in a number of impressive performances, including running a full marathon in less than three hours when he was at his peak.

Although he no longer operates a restaurant, these days he does a lot of sitting down at a computer monitoring investments. He continues to see running as an important part of his routine.

“It is good for your physical and mental state and I enjoy running. I usually run 13 or 15 miles at weekends and more when training for a marathon.”

Duzevic has no intention of stopping. “When I was 65 I still felt like I was 25. Running keeps me in good shape.”