Gordon Merfield reflects on the past 20 years since he set up the club after a cancer diagnosis.
A man who founded a running and triathlon club 20 years ago after receiving a cancer diagnosis said watching the athletes succeed had kept him going.
Gordon Merfield, 87, from Knodishall, Suffolk, is an eight-time British triathlon champion and athletics coach who set up Saxons Running & Fitness Club in Saxmundham in 2005.
Around that time, Mr Merfield had been given just years to live, and while initially he wanted to focus on his health, he was persuaded to set up the club.
Now the lifetime president of the club, Mr Merfield has helped organise the club's annual five-mile (8km) race, and this year's event during the club's 20th year is sold out.
Mr Merfield began competing in triathlons in the 1980s and had a successful 40 years in the sport before he recently retired from competitions.
When he moved to Suffolk to be close to his wife's family, he was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and given two years to live.
"They said I wouldn't survive any longer than that, and that was 25 years ago," he explained.
"That was part of one of the reasons I didn't want to [set up the Saxons club], but then I thought I might as well do something, keep my mind off it.
"When I started the club, I was having treatment, but it worked out really well... there were a lot of good things at a time when I was having a bad time.
"It gives you a boost, that's probably what has kept me going all this time."
Mr Merfield initially planned to only be involved with the club based at Carlton Park Sports Pavilion for a few years, but said it had been rewarding to help athletes succeed.
"You can see them grow from nothing and hardly being able to run to going on to compete and win," he added.
"That's the joy of it and getting something back out of it."
Sunday's race kicks off at 11:00 BST for runners aged 15 and over.
"The race organiser rung me this morning to say don't go encouraging anyone else because we've got people waiting to get in," Mr Merfield added.
"We're hoping we'll still be going in another 20 years."
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