LARRY POOLE knew to the exact inch when he completed running 20,000 miles.

While runners tracking their runs and training routines through computer programmes and smart phone apps is now commonplace, Mr Poole has been charting his runs since January 1, 1988 after buying his first computer — the Amstrad CDC.

He totted up his totals on a whim a year ago and, after discovering he had run just over 19,000 miles, set a goal of 20,000 by the end of 2011.

On Saturday — the final day of the year — he completed the four miles with 55 other runners in Eynsham.

Mr Poole, 65, who is West Oxfordshire District Council member for Eynsham and Cassington, said: “I am very relieved I hit the target.

“I was feeling under pressure in the last couple of months.”

Mr Poole started running at the age of 11, when he unexpectedly came second in a cross country race, and has done it ever since.

He began recording his mileage to discover if factors such as weather affected his ability.

He said: “I realised I was barking up the wrong tree, but I did discover I did not run as well in the mornings.

“However, that may psychological rather than physiological.”

Since then, he has run across 29 countries, got through 20 pairs of shoes and completed five marathons, including in Paris, Prague and Copenhagen.

He has been chased by cattle in the UK, come across a family of wild boars in Germany, run through a jungle in Thailand and got lost for two hours in a forest in Spain.

But he said: “The most exciting run was in Ireland, along a deserted road that ran along a beach.

“It was early in the morning and there were seals lying on the beach and porpoises jumping in the sea. It was just gorgeous.”

Mr Poole decided to hit the 20,000-mile target to celebrate last year’s 25th anniversary of running group Eynsham Road Runners.

Twenty thousand miles is roughly equivalent to running to Brisbane, Australia, and back. The circumference of Earth is 24,901 miles.

Mr Poole, who has received an MBE for his services to the naval community during the Falklands campaign, said he planned to continue running and has set a target of five miles on his 80th birthday.

He said: “I am more prone to injuries now I’m older and I have got to be sensible, but I do enjoy it so I want to keep it up.”

Andy John, sports administrator at the Oxford University Sports Federation, said: “Running that amount consistently for 24 years is amazing dedication”

Mr John organises sports events, including running, football and rugby competitions, for Oxford University and has run 10 marathons himself.