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ETTING older doesn’t have to mean slowing down. Not if you’re Capetonians John Brimble and Tony Abrahamson who, if they complete the Two Oceans ultramarathon next month as planned, will have run this race a total of 80 times between them.

In their late 60s, they aim to race the full 56km distance and have been doing speed training at the Sports Science Institute in Newlands to help them achieve this.

The friends, whose fit appearance defies their age, are confident that discipline, scientific training and attitude are a winning formula.

A lifetime of activity provides a base on which to build but for the Two Oceans this year Abrahamson and Brimble decided not to rely only on their fitness and usual training. They wanted to up their game and turned to the Sports Science Institute for coaching.

Abrahamson, 67, said: “I have always used my own experience and intuition to set my course of training, variety and distances. This year has been exceptional in that Andrew Bosch from the institute kindly offered to give guidance, and this has helped to hone the training programme and maximise its benefits.”

Abrahamson said speed training, running faster than you would in the race, was important. It was also a psychological challenge.

“You approach [the speed training sessions] with some trepidation, knowing that the next must be better than the last.