Now 59, he's preparing to tackle the fun run's 10-kilometre course for the 40^th time.

The Warrnambool father-of-three hasn't missed an edition of the iconic summer event since its inception and is eager to tick off his milestone when the Surf 'T' Surf marks its return from a two-year coronavirus-enforced break on Sunday.

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"I am always around (in January) and once I got to 20, 25 years I thought 'hey, just keep going'," McDowell said.

"Luckily I've kept my health. There's been a couple of years where I haven't been as fit and healthy but I have just got out and done it."

McDowell - a Warrnambool Athletics Club life member - has a certificate from each year he's taken part.

The passionate Warrnambool Golf Club member, whose 40^th run is believed to be a Surf 'T' Surf record, has seen the course change over the decades.

"We used to run around the racecourse initially," he said.

"We used to go straight up Banyan Street, up the hill and out around the racecourse. It was tough but it's a tough run anyway.

"Hickford Parade (in today's course) is about the 6km mark, there's a couple of rolling hills there, but Nicholson Street is probably the hardest because you're coming up to 8km."

McDowell - a financial adviser who runs a business with Michael Boyd - said he had to deal with more obstacles nowadays such as knee worries.

"As age pops up, you just don't run as quickly," he said.

"I have run 35 and a half minutes, that's my best, and now it's well into the 50s.

"The first 20 I averaged around 40 minutes which is pretty steady."

McDowell said the Surf 'T' Surf was "a great community event for the town which attracts a lot of tourists".

"Geoff McLaren, Paul Carlin and Peter Auchettl - we had a pretty strong group of guys who ran together and they've always been really good support," he said.

He already has plans to celebrate his 40^th run, booking in for breakfast at the kiosk near the Lake Pertobe finish line.

"My wife (Cathy) said 'what time?' and I said 'make it 9.30am, don't make it 9 o'clock because I might not be finished," McDowell laughed.

"We might also have a few beers to celebrate this one."

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