While everyone else was working up a sweat racing around the stalls at The Star Regent 24-hour Book Sale yesterday, the chaotic dash for books barely raised Morris Hall's pulse.
The 66-year-old said it was because he had stamina. A marathon runner for the past 36 years, the retired primary school teacher has it in bundles.
He said the annual book sale was a marathon, just like any other, and you needed good endurance to make your way around the swarms of people pushing and shoving.
''I've got plenty of stamina and I'm light on my feet - it's good to survive the pushing and shoving".
'I can also hold big piles of books for a long time. It's great.'' Mr Hall said he had been running marathons since he was about 30 and would start his 51st next weekend in Christchurch.
Mr Hall was delighted with his haul at the book sale yesterday.
Among his collection was - not surprisingly - a book titled Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. He could not wait to get it home and start reading it, he said.
