Neil Thomas Osborne Wilson (8 April 1930 – 14 August 2023) was a New Zealand runner who represented his country at the 1950 British Empire Games.

Neil Wilson
Personal information
Birth nameNeil Thomas Osborne Wilson
Born(1930-04-08)8 April 1930
Epsom, New Zealand
Died14 August 2023(2023-08-14) (aged 93)
Motueka, New Zealand
SpouseRaewyn Joy Clark (d. 2014)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportTrack and field
Achievements and titles
National finals880 yards champion (1951)

Early life and education

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Wilson was born in the Auckland suburb of Epsom on 8 April 1930, the son of Lois Annabell Rona Wilson (née Knight) and Allan Baxter Wilson.[1][2][3] He was educated at King's College, Auckland.[4]

Athletics

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Wilson gained national attention as a junior, winning the national men's under-19 880 yards title in both 1948 and 1949, and the national men's under-19 1 mile title in 1949. He also won the national men's under-19 cross-country championship in 1948.[5]

At the 1950 British Empire Games, Wilson competed in the men's 880 yards. He ran second in his heat, recording a personal-best time of 1:53.2,[6] and advanced to the final, where he ran a time of 1:53.7 to finish in fourth place.[7]

In 1951, Wilson won the New Zealand national men's 880 yards championship title in a time of 1:56.1.[5]

Personal life

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Wilson married Raewyn Joy Clark in about 1955, and the couple went on to have two children.[2][8] Wilson died in Motueka on 14 August 2023, at the age of 93,[9] having been predeceased by his wife, Raewyn Wilson, in 2014.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Death search: registration number 2023/24649". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b Owen, Annette and Arthur. "Neil Thomas Osborne Wilson". Our Maritime Ties. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Births". Auckland Star. Vol. 61, no. 83. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023 – via PapersPast.
  4. ^ "School steeplechases". Auckland Star. 29 September 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b Hollings, Stephen (October 2019). "National champions 1887–2019" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Fast half-miles". Otago Daily Times. 6 February 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Empire Games". Ashburton Guardian. 8 February 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Raewyn Wilson obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Neil Wilson obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.