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Mike Murray
A pioneer of children’s athletics in New Zealand Mike Murray passed away on Friday 14 June 2024 aged 83, after failing health for some time.
He is also credited with introducing the half marathon distance as a race in New Zealand in 1979, known as the Sunfresh half marathon. Mike also conducted the first New Zealand half marathon championship on the Pakuranga course in 1981 with Kerry Rodger winning the men’s title and Maree Turner the women.
In his youth Mike was an above average sprinter representing West Coast North Island in the 100, 220 and 440 yards.
In 1974 he became involved with the Pakuranga Club starting a long association with the Club, serving three terms as president 1974-85, 1990-92 and 2000-03.
He was made the first Life Member of the Pakuranga Club in 1983, and he received an Athletics Auckland Merit Award.
As a school teacher he was accustomed to working with children which led to raising the profile of children’s athletics at regional and national level. He was chairman of Auckland Children’s athletics for three years from 1977 and in 1979 led the drive to form the New Zealand Children’s Amateur Athletic Association and hold national events for children. He was the inaugural chairman and first president serving three terms and became its first life member. He was chairman of the building committee for the building of the Pakuranga club rooms at Lloyd Elsmore Park.
An entertaining race announcer and commentator at the annual Pakuranga cross country meeting and the Huntly half marathon.
As a school teacher he held senior positions at Ruapotaka, Stanhope Road, Panmure District and Tamaki Intermediate Schools retiring as deputy principal of Kedgley Intermediate School in Papatoetoe. Later he was a relief teacher at Panmure Bridge and St Patrick’s School.
He also did a stint as a horse race jockey and got heavily involved in central and local body politics.
He stood for Parliament in Pakuranga and was a feature during the campaign travelling through the electorate on the back of a truck announcing his policies.
He was an elected member for many years on the Mt Wellington Licensing Trust.
Mike was one of Life’s characters, imaginative, irreverent, irrepressible and one of athletics greatest assets.
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