Xue Shaokang developed the habit of running in 1946 and has kept it ever since. Gao Erqiang / China Daily

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"Xue is energetic and always cheerful. Most of all, he is more persistent than many of us," he says.

Xue developed the habit of running in 1946, when he moved to Shanghai from Wujiang and became a physical education teacher in a primary school. The school was near the Huangpu River, so he ran every morning along the river and felt more energetic.

In the early 1950s, the school moved far from Xue's house. He started to run 10 kilometers to and from work every day.

"It was also for saving money. We had four children and wanted to tighten our belts. I could save a 0.1 yuan (16 cents) ticket fee every day," he recalls.

Now, the fourth generation of Xue's family is in high school.

Last year his granddaughter, who lives in New Zealand, called to dissuade him from joining the amateurs running at the Shanghai International Marathon. He had participated in the event on eight previous occasions.

"I never take medicine and only go to the hospital for a health check. I do not have any illness and I can even recite all the phone numbers of my family members," he says proudly.

Yang Lelan says that he was obstinate with the belief "running heals".

"He had cataracts and refused to go to see a doctor. He would have had better eyesight if he had agreed to an operation," she says.

And Yang could not stop her husband from running on the heavily polluted days the city has frequently experienced in recent months.

But Xue is optimistic. "It is not running that would make me sick," he emphasizes.