Piper (63) a semi-retired Invercargill accountant, won the marathon 20 years ago in 2hr 45min 57sec, and has contested the event every year since, contesting the marathon course 13 times and half marathon seven.
But yesterday Piper was reflecting on whether he could still get up to contest another.
His best time on the course was 2hr 39min, but he said age was now slowing him down. But with yesterday being his 103rd marathon the interest is still very much a big part of Piper's life.
Piper was inspired into running at the age of seven by two school teachers at the Southwell Preparatory School in Hamilton, John (Dutch) Holland and Mossie Marshall, both medallists at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland and both Olympians in Helsinki in 1952. Marshall was unplaced in the 1500m, but Holland returned with a bronze medal in the 400m.
"These two guys will never know the inspirational impact they had on me and how I viewed them as role models," Piper said.
Although Piper has always been a highly respected athlete, he said he was just an ordinary bloke.
"I love running, I love food and all the good things in life," he said.
What slowed Piper down the most was knee surgery nine years ago.
"Now it's just age," he said.
"To be on top as an athlete you have to be disciplined, focused, methodical and efficient in life, but it gets to a stage where all this is not possible."
Piper completed yesterday's marathon in 4hr 24min 36sec, to finish in 95th place.
"I was just coming down Portsmouth Dr and couldn't stop thinking that 20 years ago I would have been at the finish by this stage."
"I enjoy coming back to Dunedin. It's a place that has always been good to me."
Of Piper's 103 marathons, 35 have been run overseas, with the Boston event perhaps his favourite.
"I hope to return to do my 15th Boston Marathon next year. There won't be many New Zealanders who have done it that often."
