Events In History
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7 August 1997Beatrice Faumuina wins athletics world championship goldBeatrice Faumuina became the first New Zealander to win an event at a World Athletics Championships when she threw the discus 66.82 m at Athens in 1997. Read more...
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20 April 1981Allison Roe wins Boston marathonAllison Roe won the prestigious Boston race, taking nearly 8 minutes off the course record. She followed this performance six months later with victory in the New York marathon. Read more...
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12 August 1975John Walker breaks world mile recordJohn Walker became history’s first sub-3:50 miler on 12 August, running 3:49.4 at Gothenburg, Sweden. Read more...
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19 April 1967Dave McKenzie wins the Boston MarathonThe 24-year-old McKenzie set a new course record of 2 hours 15 minutes 45 seconds in finishing ahead of American Tom Laris and Yutaka Aoki of Japan. He was the first New Zealander to win the Boston Marathon. Read more...
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15 June 1935Lovelock wins ‘Mile of the century’In June 1935 Lovelock returned to Princeton – the scene of his 1933 world record – to compete against the top American milers in what the media later dubbed the ‘Mile of the Century’ Read more...
Articles
Sport, 1940-1960
The mid-century decades brought more mass participation in sport, the consolidation of many national competitions, and greater achievement at international level.
- Page 2 - Lydiard's legacyThe cult of masculinity had one positive spin-off: Arthur Lydiard. A runner of iron will but limited natural ability, he discovered that as he ran further he got fitter.
Biographies
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Williams, Yvette Winifred
The sports writer Peter Heidenstrom rated Yvette Williams as his 'New Zealand Athlete of the Century'. There is no doubt that she was one of our greatest-ever athletes - and probably the most versatile.
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Lovelock, John Edward
One of our greatest athletes, Berlin Olympic gold medallist Jack Lovelock led a remarkably full life before his tragic death in 1949, just a few days shy of his 40th birthday.
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Lydiard, Arthur Leslie
Arthur Lydiard was a marathon runner and athletics coach, whose most notable trainees included Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions.
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Read, Norman Richard
Norman Read was an Olympic gold medal-winning race walker who helped to popularise the sport in New Zealand.
Read more...
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Main image: John Walker in 1982
Runner John Walker after completing mile race around Queen's Park, Toronto on 18 September 1982.
