But for the past two years he’s been more at home behind the handlebars of his road bike.
He hit the road using peddle power two years ago to lose weight and keep fit.
Bow-legged and with worn-out knees from his love of long-distance running, he can’t walk to get the mail and back without feeling pain.
Yet on a bike, he can ride for hours, and he often does.
Late last year he put off one knee replacement because of a major car show. The other was due this month but instead he’ll be riding 1445km over nine days in the Tour de Cure.
This year’s tour starts in Geelong on March 11 and ends in Canberra on March 19 and will pass through Murchison and Euroa on the way to Wangaratta.
“I reckon I started riding about 12 months ago with the Coodabeens group and I ride pretty much with them most mornings, I like to do distance,” he said.
Thinking he could go the distance and raise money for a good cause, Mr Maskell signed up to the Tour de Cure, figuring that on the run from Bendigo to Wangaratta it would pass through Shepparton and maybe even past his kids’ school at Shepparton East.
“So I joined up, did all the stuff online and then found out about a week later that they're going via Murchison and on the Sunday, so that has become a running joke,” he said.
Joining the tour requires raising $12,000 for the cause, and Mr Maskell has surpassed that, with more than $20,000, to be in the top 10 fundraisers.
Most was raised in one day, but in cities across the country.
“I reached out to friends in the car community and we ended up running car events across the country on the same day,” he said.
“I liked the idea of the challenge, but I thought, well, if I can raise some funds, why not? Everybody's had cancer somewhere in their world and I’m no different.”
Mr Maskell has no doubts he’ll complete the ride — as long as they don’t make him walk too far each night for dinner.
When he gets back, the knee replacements will be back on the agenda.
If you want to help Greg with his fundraising go to his Tour de Cure page
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