Mr Urquhart (67) has been running since he was 10.
And he has has clocked up ''thousands and thousands of miles'' over the years, including many half-marathons, having completed his first and only marathon in a more than creditable 2hr49min when he was only 16.
A former president of Athletics Otago and of Athletics Taieri, he is still involved as a convener and life member at the Taieri club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year.
And he remains keen to give something back to the sport that has given him so much over the years.
Before becoming a postie seven and a-half years ago, he worked as a farmer on the Taieri for the previous 35 years, the first five of them as a farm worker, and then owning his own property.
As a postie he's been bitten by a couple of dogs over the past few years - with no serious injuries - but still loves the job, despite the odd frustration with weather.
And he relishes the human contact: cheerfully chatting to folk he meets on his run, and building friendly links with the locals.
Some people even do a bit of baking for their postie from time to time and he trots the mail up to the door for some older people, and they enjoy it when also he finds time for a quick chat.
''That's the human side and I don't mind going out of my way a bit,'' he says.
His desire to pursue a farming career on the Taieri - which proved successful until he moved on and became a postie - meant that he had not climbed all the competitive mountain tops he would earlier have liked in his running.
But he's grateful for everything he has gained from the sport - his fitness and good health, and all the the friendships and camaraderie, as well as the discipline which served him so well first as a North-East Valley townie, but then in his switch to farming.
''I'm not fanatically driven but if I want to do something to do something I generally give it my best shot.''
He comes from a family of runners. His wife, Heather and their three daughters - Fiona Gallagher, Nicola Merrilees and Katie Kemp - are all keen participants, and the latter is the current Wellington Open Women's Marathon titleholder. Heather and Nicola recently completed the latest New York Marathon.
''My involvement with running for 57 years has been a great journey. It provided me with many memorable experiences,''he says.
He has also greatly enjoyed his 30-year long involvement with Lions.
And an ''immense pleasure'' has been his involvement with the Berwick Outdoor Experience, an annual confidence-building programme held at the Berwick Forest.
This has been a Taieri Lions project for the last 23 years.
These days he lives on a lifestyle block at Wingatui, and life as a postie remains good.
''I enjoy the interaction with many of these people. In fact I just about know where everyone lives in Mosgiel and a lot by their first names.
''It also provides me with compulsory exercise six days a week, keeping my body active. I look forward to each day.''
