Kevin Ryan

Kevin Ryan was an important figure in one of the golden eras of New Zealand distance running.

Ryan, born in Auckland in 1949, ran in one Olympics Games and was selected for another, besides attending three successive Commonwealth Games. He was also a member of New Zealand teams at two world championship cross-county events.

For much of his career, Ryan came under the coaching eye of Barry Magee, one of Arthur Lydiard’s early stable of running greats.

It was primarily in the marathon that Ryan built his reputation. He gained a reputation of being able to push himself right to his limit, and then a little bit beyond.

He won the New Zealand Games and Australian marathons in 1975, the Toronto marathon in 1981 and the Honolulu event in 1983. In addition, he finished in the top 10 at Boston, Fukuoka and New York, and had a best time of 2h 11min 43s. In 1978 Ryan, held the No 10 world ranking in the marathon after his 6th place finish in the Boston marathon in 2h 11min 44s.

His first Games was at Christchurch in 1974, when he ran the two distance track events. In the 5000m, his 14min 07.4s wasn’t quick enough for him to advance to the final. In the 10,000m, the race in which Dick Tayler gained athletics stardom, Ryan was 12th in 29min 50sec.

By the 1976 Montreal Olympics, he’d moved up to the marathon , but did not complete the race. On to the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games, where he ran extremely well and just missed a medal, finishing 4th in 2h 17min 15s.

Ryan was one of those unlucky athletes named in the team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but then denied the change to compete by the American-led boycott. He was back for the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, where he again hit excellent form, recording a 5th placing with a time of 2h 13min 42s.

Despite years of fine performances in the marathon, his most memorable athletics moment came in the cross-country when he was part of the New Zealand team that won the world title in Rabat, Morocco.

The New Zealand team comprised John Walker, who finished 4th, Euan Robertson 5th, Dave Sirl 25th, John Dixon 26th, John Sheddan 33rd, Bryan Rose 34th, Jack Foster 36th, Ryan 71st and Dick Quax 91st. The first six placings counted toward the team total, but even the non-counters contributed by adding to the scores of opposing teams. The team was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Ryan also ran in the 1979 championships in Ireland, when he was second New Zealander home, in 55th place, of the 191 starters.

His competitive career behind him, Ryan moved for a time to Boston and the New Balance shoe company and, later, around the world with Nike and Adidas.

After returning to New Zealand, he stayed involved in athletics as a coach and race organiser and also featured in veterans cycling on occasion.