But after lots of travelling, training and hard work, the Cessnock man has completed nine marathons in less than two years.

The 57-year-old took up running in 2011 with his son Mitchell, who was training to recover from knee surgery.

He ended up competing in the Lake Macquarie half-marathon (21 kilometres) that year.

By then, the “runner’s high” had set in and he set his sights on bigger things.

Olsen’s first marathon was at the Gold Coast in July 2014, and he has completed this race each year since.

He is one of about 900 people in the world to have finished the six races that make up the Abbott World Marathon Majors – Chicago and New York in 2014, London and Berlin in 2015, and Tokyo and Boston this year.

He recently received a special medal in honour of this achievement.

“I was very proud to receive this medal,” he said.

“I’ve have a few friends who are very envious of this.

“It’s very special to me.

“And to do it in under two years is a pretty special achievement.”

Olsen said nothing compares to the feeling of finishing a marathon.

“You go through three-and-a-half hours of pain and then two minutes of glory crossing the finish line,” he said.

Olsen balances his training (five-to-six days a week, up to 25 kilometres a day) with his full-time job as an overseer at Cessnock Correctional Centre and his role as a Cessnock councillor.

The grandfather-of-seven says running keeps him young, and he doesn’t plan on winding back any time soon.

In fact, he’s hoping to tackle the world’s oldest ultramarathon, the 89-kilometre Comrades Marathon, in South Africa next year.

“There are so many great races in the world, I just want to get out and do them while I’m capable,” he said.

In the meantime, he will take part in the half-marathon at the Winery Running Festival in Pokolbin this Sunday, and the Melbourne marathon in October.

IAN OLSEN’S MARATHON TIMES

Chicago (October 2014) – 3:39.41

New York (November 2014) – 3:39.14

London (April 2015) – 3:35.00

Berlin (September 2015) – 3:37.11

Tokyo (February 2016) – 3:31.49

Boston (April 2016) – 3:38.56