WEDNESDAY'S Bermuda Marathon Derby marked a sad occasion for one well-known resident. At 79, Ludwig Cann has run the 13.3-mile race more times than he can remember.

But this year he was relegated to the sidelines, reduced to being a spectator as a consequence of poor health.

Earlier this week, however, he met with Mid-Ocean News reporter HEATHER WOOD and photographer GLENN TUCKER to reminisce about past races and make some predictions ahead of this year's race.

Q: Why didn't you race this year?

A: I had a small stroke that left my left hand and my left leg weak. I fought it but the doctor won't give me permission to run right now. I still like running but I can't do it. About three weeks ago. Yes, I would have run. Altogether? I go in every race. There's about 25 races a year and I go in all of them. So I've run from here to Japan and back. I just like it. It's like when I used to play football. I used to be a goalie and I used to play for the spectators just to make them happy. It's the same with running. I just run to please people. When they sing out and hail me, it makes me go faster. I just want to please the people and keep going. I started late. I started when I was 48. What made you start? I met a lady who invited me to go in a race. I think it was a race during College Weeks ? from Church Bay to Elbow Beach. I went to the doctor and he said I had a good heart and so I signed up and went in the race.

Went down to the park in the morning and trained for about 15 minutes before it started and then took off like a jet ? and sat down. There were a bunch of girls around. They were all laughing at me. They said: "Look at him sitting down already."

So I got up and beat them in. I had a pair of sneakers on. I didn't have running shoes. They were ordinary, old-time sneakers with a big hole in the centre. But I kept running. It felt good. Running makes you feel good and healthy and I've been doing it ever since.

Q: Did you do any exercise other than football?

A: No. I'd never done exercise before. I just played football. I run mostly by my mind. I never used to train. I would just say I'm going to run and go out and do it. In recent years I started training early mornings. At about 4.30 I would run up and down in town. And once the doctor says I'm okay, I've got to start all over again. I get my strength from the sun. In the olden days, people used to wear umbrellas when they went out in the sun. And that's what affects me now, or so they say ? the sun, the heat. But I don't notice it.

My stroke didn't happen in the sun, it happened inside a house. They say my blood is thick and I'm taking aspirins now to thin my blood. Other than that, I can't figure it out. It's going to hurt me now knowing I'm not running this year.

Q: Are you going to watch the race?

A: They want me to walk the last mile. I might do that. Otherwise I'm supposed to be walking later, on (one of the) parade trucks, the Cumberbatch truck that has the girls dancing. I'm supposed to be walking with them. So I'll be out there anyway. Oh yes. Everybody is saying how they're going to miss me, how they want me to come out. It's going to be sad. This year I'm miserable because I can't run. I still go out now early in the morning, around 5.30 just for a walk around town. I have to be careful because the traffic comes so fast but otherwise I feel all right. But there's nothing to do. It's terrible. I haven't gone back to work yet. I'm lost. They say I give them inspiration because I'm old, I guess. Here lately I've been starting to run slow, that's why I (set off) early when I compete. I still do the similar distance but I go early because people are waiting for me to come in.

I don't want to be too late, for them to have to wait too long. But now some people are saying they ain't coming out because I ain't running. It's amazing. Even little children get a kick out of seeing me. One little guy said: "That old man is 80 years old and still running. I could run too then."

Q: What do you do when you're not running?

A: I just relax. Look at the water. Go fishing. Just relax my mind. When I'm running I feel good if I can come in and beat somebody and I know I'm going to beat at least one person. It makes me feel good. I'm up at the Captain's Lounge. I clean up. I'm the janitor and I do security at night. And I stay there too. I've been running from Captain's Lounge. It's my base you know. My brother owns the place. I think it's going to be my mate (Jay) Donawa. I think he will take it. He hasn't taken it yet, he's always come in second. He wasn't going to run this year because people were teasing him, calling him a second man.

But I think he'll be able to do it this time. If he doesn't do it, maybe one of the Marshall brothers. I don't think (Terrence) Armstrong can do it this year but anything can happen. He's the favourite.

Q: Being he's the favourite, you don't think he will win?

A: I don't like favourites. I always take a long shot and I win all the time on the races, the horses. I always take the long shots and people get jealous because I'm always winning. But it's a lot of fun. This year it will be a fast race because they come in down (Bernard Park).

They're not running up the hill at Prospect, which is much harder. So I think it's going to be a close race this time but I'll feel better if somebody else comes first this year. If somebody beats Armstrong, I'll feel better. I've got a bet on Donawa or one of the Marshall brothers. I think it's going to be exciting though because we're on a faster course.

Q: Having run the course, what's always been the most difficult point for you? Burnt House Hill?

A: That's where it affects everybody ? Burnt House Hill. But the hardest part is the ten-mile mark, that's round by Blue Hole. That's where you really feel it ? at the ten-mile point. But the last mile is the worst. Some people come in and flop out after the last mile. They want to go too fast. It happens all the time.

A lot of people have flopped out. I haven't yet. But one time my feet were so sore I had to take my shoes off and put them in the water round by Blue Hole Hill. Sometimes your muscles tighten up on you. I've had golf balls in my legs when I've come in.

People talk about doing exercises, about stretching. I don't stretch. One time I was doing a 26-mile race and this guy said to me: "Why don't you stretch before the race?"

So I stretched before the race and took off. I limped all the way, the whole 26 miles. So everybody's not alike. I never stretch. I tell people: "Listen. Just put your mind to the (fact) that you're going to run three or four hours and you can do it. You don't need to train to do it."

That's why this year all the top runners are hurt. Most all of them have had operations because they run too fast. Just relax and run and your legs will tell you what to do and where to go. It's a lot of fun.

Q: Typically, when you ran, what would you do after the race?

A: Before, I would smoke. I was a heavy smoker. I'd have a beer when I came in to relax. Now I might have a Dark 'n' Stormy. In years gone by I'd run and people would give me drinks on the wayside. I'd stop and have a Bloody Mary or a beer and keep going.

In the olden days the runners used to run and they used to have a shot of liquor before they ran. They never got any water on the road. All you got were all these bikes in your way, with gas and everything. It's different now.

But running and drinking water ain't no good anyway. Horses don't run and drink. They've got to stop, if you know what I mean. Sometimes water can choke you if it goes the wrong way. Some people pour it over their head to cool off. But I always drink water before and after. I have it when I relax when I come in.

Q: Which finish do you prefer, Bernard Park or the National Sports Centre?

A: I used to like the Stadium. Because you had to run up a hill, you'd run down and then you run around the track. The Park is nice too but I didn't like that route much. Most people like it around there because they can sit and see the parade when it comes. They can stay in the same spot all day. I used to (finish the race) and then walk back around with the parade and come in again. I don't know. When I was small, I used to dig tanks and pits. Now there's a bulldozer doing it inside a couple of hours. I used to take three or four months just to dig a tank. Yes. I still dig trees up. I go to people's homes and dig up cedar tree roots ? that's where I get my exercise from. That and the sun at the same time. The sun makes me strong. I don't know if you've seen a baby chicken.

When it's born their feathers come out white and when they go in the sun it makes them strong. And that's where I get my strength ? from the sun. From the sun and from women. I get a lot of strength from women. I like to be around women. They make me feel good. They make me feel relaxed.

Q: Do you know of anyone who has competed as frequently as you have?

A: I'm the only one who has run all the races. Even (Sir) Stanley Burgess, he never ran a marathon. I've done marathons 28 times. In January (as part of International Race Weekend) I do the 10K on a Saturday and 26 miles on the Sunday.

I've been doing that for 28 years straight. Stanley only did the (Derby). Then they only had little ten- and 11-mile races. But now it's 13 ? from Somerset to Prospect. I did that a couple of times with Stanley Burgess. I never came first in that race. I came first lots of times in my age group, but never in an ordinary race.

Q: Do you consider Sir Stanley Burgess to be Bermuda's greatest runner? Who's your favourite overall?

A: Stanley Burgess was great. Arthur Lambert was strong. People make you feel like running when they see you and hail out to you. Especially children. They get a kick out of it when they see this old man running. Even when I was (walking earlier this week) people were saying: "You're not running this year? You're not making it? I ain't coming out this year." I always have writing on my shirt. I have different shirts and pants and socks. I generally wear two pairs of long socks. If I wear thin socks it makes me sweat more on my feet. I'm more comfortable when I put on two pairs of socks. I like different colours. I like to make myself look pretty, that's when I get a kick out of it. I could still go whether the doctor gives me the okay or not but I said I wouldn't. I didn't want to affect the sponsors. When I first started running the doctor told me I had a good heart and so I went in the race. As far as I know I've still got a good heart. I was surprised I had a stroke. Only way I figure I (suffered a stroke) is because I had a little bit of the Mad Cow (Disease).

I think so because I cleaned a fridge up that had all this beef in it. I cleaned it out and the bottom was filled with blood. I had to mop it up and so I think I caught a little bit of the Mad Cow. When I came back from shopping I was walking up the steps and all of a sudden my left leg went down on the ground, just like a mad cow would fall down, and I stayed down for a while.

I started walking up the steps backwards, by sitting on one step and then the other. This most recent time I had a stroke I was in a house. I was sitting, eating and watching TV when (suddenly) this lady started patting me and I said, "You'd better call the ambulance."

They say I was lucky because I was strong, I fought it. I didn't actually have to have any therapy or anything, I just exercised myself. I'm still doing it now ? walking. But I still haven't got my left leg in balance just yet. That's why I'm afraid to run. But I'll be ready next year.