Eric de Lautour is a fast runner. 'Faster than anyone else my age,” the 95-year-old says with a chuckle.

He'll be the oldest competitor of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Masters Athletics championships at Tauranga Domain Reserve on January 16-17.

World record holder Eric de Lautour. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Does he want to win? 'I always win at being the oldest one,” says Eric.

Eric runs almost every day for about an hour from his Bethlehem home. 'I start off walking and finish up with a few sprints. I go up Orange Lane and I can run through a park which is a 5km circuit.

'There's not flat in it it's up and down. Stirling Gate Hill is quite a challenge.”

A hill is a challenge, but a 1500m sprint isn't? Apparently not.

'In my age group I'm number one in the 800m and 1500m internationally,” says Eric. 'That was after competing at Rarotonga in the Oceania games in October.”

He's being modest. Eric is world number one in the 800m and 1500m run, world number three in the 400m run and 200m dash, and ranked world number four in the 100m dash. He's New Zealand's fastest in all five categories.

Waikato Bay of Plenty Masters Athletics president Murray Clarkson expects about 25 masters athletes competing in the championship events including hammer throw, discus, shot put, javelin, long jump, hurdles and more.

'Some athletes use this weekend's championships to prepare for the national competition in Dunedin this February.”

Murray says masters athletics provides good camaraderie for the athletes.

'The main purpose is to keep active and to bring a group of people together with a common interest.”

The Waikato Bay of Plenty Masters Athletics championships is at Tauranga Domain Reserve on January 16-17 from 9am each day.