Edlin received Masters Athletics NZ Merit Award

Gisborne athlete Warren Edlin (second right) has received a Masters Athletics New Zealand Merit Award for 20 years of service to the organisation. With him at Mitre 10 Park in Hastings are (from left) Hawke’s Bay-Gisborne Masters Athletics life members Bruce Allen and Maurice Callaghan and HBG Masters Athletics president Dennis O’Leary. Picture supplied

Gisborne athlete Warren Edlin has received a Masters Athletics New Zealand Merit Award for 20 years of service to the organisation.

Edlin started his running career in Hastings on the Nelson Park grass track in 1972.

He took part in fundraising for construction of an all-weather track in Hastings — the third in New Zealand.

In 1981 he travelled to Germany, England and Scotland as a representative of the Hastings Athletic Club, and in 1983 he transferred to Gisborne, where he has continued enjoying athletics.

Since 1998, Edlin has officiated and competed in a variety of masters championships, including Oceania Hastings 1998, Norfolk Island 2000, Geelong 2002, Rarotonga 2004, Christchurch 2006, Townsville 2008, Tahiti 2010, Tauranga 2012, Bendigo 2014, Rarotonga 2015, Dunedin 2018 and Mackay 2019.

He officiated at the Australian nationals in Brisbane in 2011 and at the New Zealand nationals in Hastings the same year.

The Hawke’s Bay-Gisborne Masters Athletics Committee, in endorsing Edlin’s nomination for the award, said he was a “very active” member and a role model for young athletes in Gisborne.