As an officer in the Bermuda Police Service, Steve Taylor led the May 24 half-marathon on several occasions on a motorcycle.

This year, the 66-year-old former sergeant set his heart on taking part and power walked the 13.1 miles of the 2016 Appleby Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby in two hours and 55 minutes.

In doing so, he has raised more than $2,000 for charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets.

“I love a challenge and it became a real challenge to me to actually do it,” Mr Taylor told The Royal Gazette. “I wanted to be able to say I did May 24 and not on a police bike.

“I came 623rd out of 702 finishers. I beat 79 of the runners and then I found out that 75 ended up having to be medically treated.

“It was so exciting, it really, really was. But what motivated me was the crowds. The crowds were unbelievable. They all deserve medals themselves because they are the ones that drove me on. I never realised how great it would be.”

Mr Taylor, of Paget, started training for event as his New Year’s resolution. “Gradually I built up, built up, built up and then I started thinking that I’d like to do this for a charity.

“I wanted to do something with children. I’ve got two children of my own and three grandsons. I was looking for a children’ charity because I think it’s harder for children to raise money.”

Mr Taylor, who now works as a real estate associate at Moura & Associates after 25 years with the Bermuda Police Service, said his boss Debbie Moura suggested he raise funds for Scars.

“From being a policeman, you witness an awful lot of violence and criminal activity,” Mr Taylor said.

“As soon as she mentioned Scars, I thought it sounded like it would be a really good charity.”

After contacting founder and executive director Debi Ray-Rivers, who was delighted by the support and drew up a sponsorship form, he started collecting donations.

“People were so generous,” he said, extending a big thank you to everyone who donated to the cause.

With excitement for the event building, Mr Taylor, who ran in the first BTFA marathon in 1972, completed three police mini marathons and also played first division football, kept up his training regime until he averaged about 15 minutes per mile.

He worked out that at that pace he would be able to finish in 3 hours and 18 minutes, which would leave him 12 minutes to spare before the course closed.

“Secretly I wanted to beat three hours but I never thought I could possibly do it, particularly when I saw it was 78 degrees and 90 per cent humidity.”

He completed the first mile in 13-and-a-half minutes and reached the second mile marker at the 27-minute mark.

He then stopped looking at his watch, focusing instead on catching the person in front.

“I thought if I just keep the same cadence going, keep my head up, keep taking water, I’ll just pick somebody out in front of me and my next goal is to catch that person.

“All these people out there were shouting ‘come on pops, you’re looking good’, ‘go 661’.

“Any time I heard that I’d put my hand up or I’d give them the thumbs up and I’d go ‘Happy Bermuda Day everybody, thanks very much’.”

By the time he reached the nine-mile marker, he was 15 minutes ahead of schedule and on Cedar Avenue he realised he could achieve his three-hour goal. “I came around Dutton Avenue and it was 2:53 or something. I went over in 2:55:31. But it’d obviously took me thirty seconds to get to the start line because you’re behind all the faster people. So my official time was 2:55:01. I beat the three hours, which blew me away.”