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Carl Saint-Jacques is always running.

Right after his return from Australia, where he took part in the Sydney Marathon, the Montréal-area man was eager to embark on the five- and ten-kilometre events at the FADOQ Games.

Carl Saint-Jacques, 60, has been running since early 2011, when he first toyed with the idea of one day taking part in a marathon. The dream became a reality the following May, when he ran the Ottawa marathon, and since then he has completed 70 marathons.

“I try to run five or six marathons a year,” he says. “Since I started running, I’ve visited 28 countries on six different continents, as well as taking part in prestigious events such as the Boston Marathon, which I’ve run 14 times.”

In his youth, Carl Saint-Jacques loved short distances like the 100 and 200 metres, but today he enjoys the challenge of longer distances.

“I need to run to keep fit and stay as young as possible,” he says. “It’s become like a drug for me; if I stop for more than a couple of days, my legs start to itch. So I run five times a week and about 3,000 kilometers a year.”

This was Carl Saint-Jacques’ second FADOQ Games, and he also took part in the Canada 55+ Games last August, where he clocked an impressive time of 19 minutes and 27 seconds in the five-kilometre event.

He enjoys the friendly spirit of the FADOQ Games, and wishes he’d known they existed long before last year.

“I love the atmosphere. I’ve met a lot of people and I hope to be able to take part for many years to come.”