His career at the top of the national and international ranks finished at that point but he continued to be a presence as a veteran runner.[1] At the age of 51, he completed a marathon in a time of 2:34:36.2.[2] He set French age-category records for the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, 20,000 m and the one hour run.[39] He won a total of more than 80 French national running championships titles, including those for veteran athletes, the last one while in his seventies. In the last years of his life, he continued to jog or racewalk almost daily, up to 10–15 miles per day, on the roads and paths in the vicinity of his detached house in Champigny-sur-Marne in Val-de-Marne department, at the Bois de Vincennes and on the roads around Bugeat in Corrèze department.[4][40][41][42][43]