Joseph Camilleri this week weathered the storm and managed to finish one of the world’s most prestigious races at the age of 68.

Joseph Camilleri made it across the Boston Marathon finishing line at the age of 68.

The Maltese-Canadian, who last year made it first to the finishing line at the BMO Vancouver Marathon within his age group, completed the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Mr Camilleri, originally from Ħamrun, finished the race wearing a shirt that read “all it takes is all you got” before collapsing in the arms of a paramedic and being treated for hypothermia.

But he believes it was well worth it, and has already set his sights on an October marathon in Victoria, British Columbia, where he lives.

Mr Camilleri told The Sunday Times of Malta that between 1963 and 1969 he was considered one of Malta’s top runners, representing the Alpines Athletics Club (Sliema). However, once he emigrated he stopped running altogether and did not start again until he was 60.

Then last year he took part in his first marathon – the BMO Vancouver one – where he made it first out of 47 men in the 65-69 category. Finishing at 3:30:45, he qualified for this year’s Boston Marathon, which attracted some 30,000 participants.

Race day was the coldest start in 30 years

He noted that the race day turned out to be the coldest start in 30 years, with heavy rain, wind and frigid temperatures hampering the participants, where even some of the elite athletes were defeated by the elements.

“I started well enough by completing the first 21 kilometres in 1:46:11, however, by this time the weather had taken a turn for the worse, if that was even possible, with the freezing rain, strong winds and colder temperatures intensifying as the race progressed.”

At around the 25-kilometre mark he started suffering from hypothermia by which time he discarded the idea of improving the time of his previous marathon and his only goal was to finish the race.

Mr Camilleri crossed the finishing line at 4:29:58 placing 220 out of 450 in his age group.

Once he completed the marathon, he had to be treated for hypothermia for more than an hour. There were several other runners who suffered the same fate.

He had to wait until the following day to celebrate by flying the Maltese and Canadian flags in Boston, but luckily enough, the day turned out to be sunny.