Trevor Wright

Never made an Olympics. I think he may have been having Achilles troubles in 1972. Married Rosemary Stirling who ran for Scotland but was from NZ and they eventually moved to NZ.

Julain Matthews at Providence is his grandson I believe and I think he died late last year though I hope I'm wrong. Maybe someone can confirm or deny that.

Good grief... I hope this isn't true...

Wasn't Rosemary Stirling once engaged to Ian Stewart?

Had some good races in the NYC Marathon...a 3rd and a 7th.

This looks pretty convincing:

http://www.nzrunningacademy.co.nz/news/matthews-breaks-4-minute-mile/

And this, from a slightly earlier time:

http://www.nzrunningacademy.co.nz/news/matthews-breaks-4-minute-mile/

Hre, thank you for the link. Very sad, though. It's heartwarming to know his talented grandson is adding to the family athletic legacy.

As I recall, Trevor was still competing when the WAVA Games were in Gateshead. It would have been a trip home. I think that was 2001. He ran mid 16:00s for 5,000 and a few seconds over 2:40 for the marathon. I was sorry to read that story as well.

Think he also had some good World Cross Country performances.

Still holds the record for the Paeroa to Thames 20 miler - 1h 45m 18s in 1984.

coachkritter wrote:

Think he also had some good World Cross Country performances.

2nd to David Bedford @ 1971 World XC San Sebastian, Spain.

Trevor was third in the first London Marathon in 1981. It was a tie for first place. I knew Trevor years ago when we were in the Life Boys together in Sheffield, England. In fact I have just found a photo of him and me appearing in an Church Anniversay concert in 1958! He probably wouldn't want to be reminded of this!!

880 yards wrote:

Hre, thank you for the link. Very sad, though. It's heartwarming to know his talented grandson is adding to the family athletic legacy.

Paraphrasing Monty Python, "He may not be dead yet."

I just read an article about Julian Matthews which identified his grandfather as Trevor Wright but made no mention of Wright being a runner. This Trevor Wright was a basketball coach so maybe the running one isn't dead after all.

Trevor Wright was still moving around this great earth in 2014 so, unless he recently passed, he's still kicking.

He and Rosemary's daughter is New Zealand distance runner Jess Ruthe

The story I saw that made me think he was dead was from 2011 so if he was moving around in 2014 it must have been about a different Trevor Wright .Is their daughter married to Ben Ruthe?

HRE wrote:

Is their daughter married to Ben Ruthe?

Yes. She is.

He made his marathon debut in the British trials for the Euros in 1971 and finished second to Ron Hill (reversed these placings in the Champs.) Lots of mentions of Wright in Ron Hill's autobiography. He was badly injured in 1972 and never made the start line for the British olympic trials. Hill writes about him "hobbling about" at some training camp or other before those trials. He would have been amedal contender in Munich if fully fit.

Before he took up marathons he did have a distinguished career on track and X-country. Didn't he hold some record or other at a distance such as 10 miles? Not an olympic distance, perhaps the hour run? Memory very vague here and I haven't got the resources to hand to immediately check this out. Apologies if I am talking nonsense!

Trevor Wright worked as an electrician for the South Staffs Waterworks based at Wood Green, Wednesbury, West Midlands, prior to his removal to New Zealand in the mid nineteen-seventies, Each day, after work, he removed his overalls, donned his running kit and ran home, a distance of several miles. a remarkable, dedicated and modest man.

In reply to travelling to work - 2 days a week he ran each way 10 mile.