History
Club Timeline 1967 – 2017
Significant events in our 50 years.
1967
- Public meeting held – Club formed with a Childrens’ Track & Field section. Meetings held at Ti Rakau Park.
1970
- Donna Franklin becomes club’s first Auckland Championships’ winner. 9 year old girls – 50 yards.
1977
- Harrier section formed incorporating Juniors & Seniors.
- Senior Track & Field section formed.
1979
- Fundraising (for clubrooms) committee formed.
- Club holds NZ’s first Half Marathon – Prize pool totals $1,000. Sunfresh Juices as sponsor.
- Moved at a committee meeting that: the men would not smoke if the women refrained from knitting during a meeting.
1980
- Move from Ti Rakau Park to newly formed Lloyd Elsmore Park’s 10 lane grass track.
- “Buy a brick” Campaign held to help fund clubrooms. $20,000 raised from a door to door collection and members’ contributions.
1981
- Club causes much controversy from its local and national bodies, when it becomes the first sponsored athletic club in NZ, with Sunfresh Juices as sponsor.
- Lloyd Elsmore Park officially opened by Sir Robert Muldoon.
1982
- Joggers’ Section formed as part of the Harrier Committee.
- Leslie Croxton becomes our first National Champion winning the 800m.
1983
- Work begins on clubrooms’ construction in November.
- Club structure changed to form a Management Committee and Sectional Committees.
1984
- Joggers’ Section becomes independent committee.
- Clubrooms opened in May. Cost $245,000.
- Pakuranga Rotary “Light the Park” campaign to floodlight the track.
1987
- Tropicana becomes sponsor of the Half Marathon.
1988
- Continental Airlines becomes sponsor of the Half Marathon.
- Magness Fisher & Paykel becomes Club Sponsor.
1993
- Masters’ Men 50 team win National Road Relay title, Takahe to Akaroa.
- We hold the North Island Masters’ Championship at Pakuranga.
- Joe Jones becomes our first Masters’ World Champion, winning the 2000m Steeplechase at World Masters’ Athletic Championships, Myazaki – Japan.
1994
- Masters’ Men 50 team win National Road Relay title, Masterton.
1996
- Masters’ Men 50 team win National Road Relay title, Palmerston North.
- We hold the inaugural Sir Barry Curtis 10k event.
1997
- Masters’ Men 50 team win National Road Relay title, Takahe to Akaroa.
1998
- Masters’ Men 50 team win National Road Relay title, Kumeu.
2002
- Ron Johnson is World Masters’ Champion Pole Vault & 300m Hurdles, 70-74, Melbourne, Australia.
- Trevor Cowley is World Masters’ Champion Pentathlon, 65-69, Melbourne, Australia.
2005
- Valerie Vili (Adams) joins club along with coach Kirsten Hellier.
- Ron Johnson is World Masters’ Champion Pentathlon, 200m Steeplechase, Edmonton, Canada.
2006
- Pakuranga and Howick Realty becomes club sponsor.
- Commonwealth Games Melbourne – Valerie Vili (Adams) – Gold in the Shot Put.
2007
- Junior Cross Country & Road becomes separate committee.
- Joggers’ Section changes name to Joggers & Walkers.
- Senior Womens’ Relay team win National Road Relay title, Timaru.
- Pakuranga Athletics’ Charitable Trust (PACT) is formed, to source funding for an all weather track and support building.
- Valerie Adams is World Champion in the Shot Put, Osaka, Japan.
- Ron Johnson is World Masters’ Champion in the Decathlon, 75+, Riccione, Italy (Record)
2008
- Our first Gold Olympic Medal. Beijing – Valerie Adams – Gold in the Shot Put.
- Senior Womens’ Relay team win National Road Relay title, Mosgiel.
2009
- February – Work begins on the all-weather track and support building (stage 1).
2010
- March – All-weather track completed.
- April – All-weather track is officially opened.
- Commonwealth Games Delhi – Valerie Adams – Gold in the Shot Put.
2011
- We organise National Road Relay Championships, held at Hunua.
- First and only time this event has been organised by a club, not a centre.
2012
- London Olympics – Valerie Adams – Gold in the Shot Put.
2014
- Commonwealth Games Glasgow – Valerie Adams – Gold in the Shot Put.
2016
- Rio Olympics – Valerie Adams – Silver in the Shot Put.
2017
- 50 years of athletics in Pakuranga is celebrated on October 28th with a reunion ofmembers’ past and present.
Early History
Excerpt from the book Old Manukau
By A.E.Tonson 1966
The Pakuranga Domain at Pigeon Mountain has been the venue for many sporting events and in 1910 the very first annual meeting of the Pakuranga Athletic Club was held there. Attendances were good, between four and five hundred each year, but with the beginning of World War 1, the meetings were discontinued.
Excerpt from a publication to celebrate the Centennial of Howick 1947
The Athletic Club was formed in 1909, the office bearers being :
President: Mr. G. Bell
Vice-Presidents: Messrs. A.S.Thompson, A.Goodare, A. Bell, T.R.W. Gill, W.Burgess, W. May, W. Green, F.E. Fairburn, G. Udy, G. McElwain
Hon Secretary & Treasurer: D. Bell.
Assistant Secretary & Treasurer: J.H. Campbell.
The first annual sports meeting was held in the Pakuranga Domain, Pigeon Mountain on January 3rd 1910, proving a great success. These meetings were held annually until the beginning of the Great War and were always well supported both by the public and competitors, the attendance being between four and five hundred each year. The Club’s success was due to the liberality of the district and the activity of a splendid committee, among whom were: W. May, W. Fortune, A.S. Thompson, J. Wallan, J. Campbell, E. Fitzpatrick, A.E Hattaway, General Bell, J.H. Campbell.
These names are now synonymous with local street names in Pakuranga and Howick
Lloyd Elsmore Park Opening
Our present home is in Lloyd Elsmore Park. The club moved there one year before the park was officially opened in 1981. The opening was a momentous occasion and during the week’s celebrations, attendees included the Prime Minister Rob Muldoon and HRH Prince Charles.
Pakuranga Athletic Club History 1967 – 2017
The club recently celebrated its 50th Jubilee. It has a rich history and the pages in this section will detail the journey from children’s athletic meets at Ti Rakau Park in 1967 through to the present day at Lloyd Elsmore Park. This page gives a summary of our history.
1967
- Club formed with childrens’ track & field section. Events held at Ti Rakau Park, Pakuranga.
1977
-
Senior track & field section formed.
-
Harrier section formed. Headquarters at the Pakuranga Community Hall on Pakuranga Rd.
1979
- Fundraising commenced for club’s own clubrooms.
1980
- Track & field events moved from Ti Rakau Park to the newly formed Lloyd Elsmore Park’s 10 lane grass track.
1982
- Ladies’ joggers’ section formed using Lloyd Elsmore Park cricket clubrooms as headquarters.
1983
-  Work begins on our own clubrooms’ construction above the track on Lloyd Elsmore Park.
1984
- Clubrooms completed and opened.
2009
- Work begins on all weather track.
2010
- All weather track completed and opened.
2017
- Club celebrates its 50th Jubilee.
Sir Barry Curtis 10K
The Pakuranga Half Marathon was last run in 1995 after a 17 year stint. 10K events were becoming more popular so in 1996 the club decided to offer a 10K event in lieu of the Half Marathon. The 10K was called the SIR BARRY CURTIS 10K CLASSIC in honour of the then Mayor of Manukau City, who was also the Club Patron.
The Half Marathon Years
1979 to 1995
The Ti Rakau Park Years
Our club started at Ti Rakau Park in Pakuranga. This page takes a look back at those early days.