New Athletics Otago president Brent Halley at the
Caledonian Ground in Dunedin yesterday. Photo by Craig
Baxter.
New Athletics Otago president Brent Halley has run the
gruelling 32km Waitati circuit 172 times and understands what
is needed to reach the top as an athlete.
The Dunedin chartered accountant intends to apply the same
dedication to his administration duties as he showed when
training for the marathon.
Halley was elected to the top spot at the annual meeting of
Athletics Otago on Monday night and has set high standards
for his administration.
"I want to secure the financial base of the centre," Halley
told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"I want to keep participation levels high and grow the
numbers competing in the sport."
Otago is one of the few centres in the country experiencing
increased participation in the sport, thanks to the work of
Sport Otago CoachForce development officer Catherine
O'Sullivan.
Participation at secondary school level has increased
significantly since Des Smith became regional director for
the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, three years
ago.
"Our challenge is to make sure the funding is available for
the CoachForce development officer and make sure that
athletes competing in secondary school events stay with the
sport," Halley said.
Halley (44) ran his first Waitati circuit as a 19-year-old in
1983. Fourteen years later he became the first runner to
complete the course over the Mt Cargill Road to Waitati and
back by the old gravel road and down to Leith Valley 100
times.
He ran the circuit 18 times in 1993 but cut back to one last
year.
"I run it less frequently now," Halley said.
"My body is not up to doing it as much as I used to."
Halley represented New Zealand in the world half-marathon
championships in Brussels, Belgium, in 1993.
He completed his first marathon, around the Dunedin harbour
frontage, as a 15-year-old in 1980. He has completed that
race five times, winning it in 1995 and 1998.
In 13 completed marathons Halley has a best time of 2hr 26min
30sec, at the New Zealand championships in Invercargill in
1993.
His best placing in the New Zealand championships was fifth
in Christchurch in 1995. He was a member of the Ariki team
that won the national club title that day.
Halley, who replaces another distance runner, Rob Urquhart,
as president, represented Otago on 18 occasions at the New
Zealand senior cross-country championships.
• Netty Lastovicka's life membership was formally recognised
at the annual meeting.
The Brent Halley file
Age: 44
Family: Diane (wife), Bronwyn (14), Diane (12)
Occupation: Chartered accountant at
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Sport: Athletics
Position: President Athletics Otago
Competitive record:
Marathon: Best time 2hr 26min 30sec (1993); NZ
championships, 5th (1995); wins, Moro marathon (1995, 1998).
Number of marathons: 13
Half-marathon: Best time 1hr 08min 13sec (1993); NZ
representative world championships, Brussels (1993)
Best track times: 1500m, 4min 04sec; 3000m, 8min
40sec; 5000m, 14min 59sec; 10,000m, 31min 03sec, Completed
Waitati circuit a record 172 times
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