THE Beatles may have sang about taking it easy in their hit When I'm 64' but two north Kent grandfathers show no sign of slowing down after securing top spots in the county running championships.

Ranking third and sixth in their age class respectively, Peter Burton and Bob Carter have both made their mark on the sport.

Both are over-60s members of the Istead and Ifield Harriers (I&I) Athletic Club and their performances have helped put the club in seventh place in the county-wide 2005 Kent Grand Prix series.

The championships, which comprises of 10 races held over distances from five miles to a full marathon, saw Peter take 35 points and Bob seize 19 points for their team.

The club, which was set up in 1992, has a stable of around 80 members ranging from new runners to seasoned Kent champions.

Affiliated to the South East Athletic Association and the Kent County Athletic Association, the club participates in the Kent League, the Kent Fitness League and various other championships.

Peter, of Wrotham Road, Meopham, is a retired industrial chemist and began running as a way of getting fit 18 years ago.

The 61-year-old, said: "I always knew I needed to exercise so I decided to give running a try.

"At first it was very difficult, I felt so unfit at the start. Today I would recommend people get comfortable clothes and trainers and they shouldn't go too fast too soon.

"Really you should run as slow as possible, run so you can talk. You then slowly build up the miles and soon you reach a village down the road and then you're going further and further."

The grandfather-of-two joined the Gravesend Road Runners in 1989 and his first competitive race was the Hastings half-marathon which he completed in two hours.

He said: "I run 30 to 40 miles a week, six days a week. On Sundays I sometimes run up to 15 miles, it is slow but it helps to build up endurance and stamina.

"I&I is very friendly with very nice people. We don't run very fast, more at a conversationalist speed so we can have a good chat. The club doesn't push us at all.

"I want to keep going for as long as possible. If you let the running lapse then it's hard work to get back again."

Bob, of The Spinney, in Swanley, came sixth in the December championships and is also a devotee of the sport.

A member of the I&I for nine years, the grandfather-of-four has also worked at the London Marathon directing runners after they cross the finish line.

The 68-year-old said: "I first got into running after winning a race aged eight during a party celebrating VE day."

After a lapse, the father-of-two took up the sport once more in 1980, although he did not take part in any races until 10 years ago.

"I started going to the Cascades Leisure Centre in Gravesend where they held competitions and I would be on the treadmill most of the time.

"Then I saw a sign for the Black Lion half-marathon and I thought I could do that, so I did.

"As a beginner I started at the front but was put in my place within the first 100 yards.

"At county level there are, in reality, about 30 over-60s runners in Kent although anyone who has lived in the county for nine months or was born here can enter and so I suppose there are thousands."

He added: "When I first started running it was for vanity's sake but now it is more about keeping fit.

"All my senior family members died from heart failure and there is a history of heart conditions and high-blood pressure.

"I am going to keep running for as long as I can."

If you would like to join the I&I, you can contact the club on 01732 521097.

The club welcomes members of all abilities and meets on Wednesday evenings at the Cascades Leisure Centre, Thong Lane, Gravesend.