Ross Westley knows the question.

“How on earth could an 81-year-old person finish a half marathon?”

The Arvada native provided an answer Sunday morning at the Summer Roundup Trail Run at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.

Westley arrived about an hour earlier than most other runners to get a head start on the trail with the morning heat looming behind him. Westley was the first runner to make it to the five-mile mark. He also managed the course’s 1,500-foot gain and loss of elevation.

He finished the 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 58.29 minutes.

Westley said the outdoors and getting to explore the beautiful state of Colorado keeps him running when most of his peers have hung up their racing shoes.

“The trails are exquisite,” Westley said. “The road (races) are fine. They’re a little faster (and) the in-town ones are a little boring sometimes, but the trails are great.”

He started running for fun with a neighbor at 42 and realized his progress, so he started competing in 5Ks, then 10Ks, then half marathons and marathons. Westley finished 25 marathons but quit in 1995.

“Since then I’ve been working on the goal to finish all the halfs in Colorado, and I’m over 200,” Westley said.

To train for these 200-some half marathons, Westley said he’s been running halfs on the weekends, Lookout Mountain Park during the week and a couple shorter trails every now and then.

“That’s about what … my legs will tolerate,” Westley said.

His legs sure have tolerated a lot in 39 years of running.