Sears continued his involvement in major track and field meets as the Tenderkist Meet morphed into the Pan Am TV2 Meet, the Track Series, the Marley Games and finally, the Cooks Classic. He was the driving force behind the development of today’s Cooks Gardens and the opening of the all-weather track. In last week’s column, I listed a whole raft of major meets hosted at Cooks Gardens over the almost three decades since the new track was opened.
Sears took a break from the sport early in the millennium, but I persuaded him to come back and add his experience to the organisation and funding of the highly successful New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in 2014. He has since then founded the Sports Heritage Trust and become the meet promoter of the Pak’nSave Cooks Classic, and also rejoined the Athletics Whanganui Committee, providing it with invaluable insight and experience.
Sears often sends me interesting newspaper articles from the past, and two recently were of particular interest. The first was an advert for the Wanganui Amateur Athletics & Cycling Club from 1983, when cycling and athletics had a joint club. The advert has relevance today, as it clearly outlined what the club provided. The advert set out the weekly programme in track and field and cycling. It emphasised the club’s benefits for winter sports codes in terms of fitness, with opportunities for activities over summer. It highlighted road running and general fitness services provided by the club and identified main events month by month through the summer. In both cycling and athletics, it highlighted coaching and officiating. All these aspects are valid today and the 1983 advert could still be repeated 40 years later, as the activities highlighted have the same relevance today.
The second article concerned an announcement of the amalgamation of the Wanganui Athletics & Cycling Club and the Wanganui Harrier Club. The 1990s article included a photograph of a younger Darol Pointon (the then-president of Whanganui Harrier Club) and yours truly (the chairman of the Athletics & Cycling Club). The photograph was taken at Whanganui Collegiate just prior to the Anzac Relay, which was held on the school’s golf course. Sadly, the announcement was premature and, for the second time in a decade, the amalgamation fell through in the late stages of negotiations.
The Athletics & Cycling Club was founded in 1877, and the Harrier Club approaches its centenary in 2025. The clubs have a rich heritage, and there is, I believe, desire from both to have another attempt to forge closer links, leading towards amalgamation. Comments made 30 years ago have perhaps even more relevance today. Strong clubs are important throughout New Zealand, and stronger links between the two Whanganui clubs, with their shared rich athletics heritage, could benefit and strengthen both.
It would create a 12-month club and, in days when all organisations struggle for volunteers, would avoid duplication of so many roles in both sections of our sport. It would also share our athlete resources and strengthen both sections. At present, some athletes belong to both, but it does mean transferring from harriers to track and field in the summer. There are some track distance runners who registered with the athletic section and would have strengthened winter teams. Membership of one club would eliminate any confusion for athletes and many others. I hope the possibilities are explored by all concerned and we can find a solution. As one German athletic coach said to me many years ago: “There are no problems, only solutions.”
Russell Sears would love to hear from anyone who has old programmes and other sporting memorabilia and memories. Email russell@sportsheritage.nz.
