Thirty years ago, a group NC State University professors took up running and, now in their 60s, they are still going strong. Tom Lada, 62, and Richard Mowat, 64, were among participants in the Southeastern Masters Track & Field competition at NCSU last weekend.

"I'm starting to become decrepit now," joked Lada, "but I'll keep going as long as I can."

The math professor, who competed in the 3000-meter event, estimates he has run more than 15 marathons, including a sub-three-hour finish in the Marine Corps Marathon, in his younger days.

Mowat, a physics professor, volunteered at the event as a way to give back to a sport that has rewarded him since he played baseball and ran cross country in high school more than 40 years ago.

The North Raleigh resident is a familiar figure on the local running scene and won the top spot in his age group in the 2007 Second Empire Grand Prix running series.

Like most hard-core runners, Mowat is dedicated to continuous improvement.

"I was always curious to see how fast I could go, and how far," he said. "Running is a sport that teaches you that you can do things you never thought you could do."

In 1981, he completed the Boston Marathon in 2:44.