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Born 7th October 1944 in Liverpool England.
At age 11 family moved south to Maidstone Kent.
Left school in 1962 at age 18 and started work in a local bank.
A few months later I met someone who was involved in the local running club – Maidstone Harriers. I can’t remember why, but he persuaded me to run in an inter-club cross country race. I had been playing football (soccer), but I quickly became hooked on running and was very soon actively involved in Maidstone Harriers and racing most weekends.
In 1965 the bank transferred me to London. I didn’t enjoy the work there and didn’t particularly like living in London, so after 4 years in London a friend and I decided to come to Australia. We prearranged jobs with the ANZ Bank in Sydney and arrived as 10 pound migrants on 10th February 1970.
A couple of weeks later I went to a track race at Sydney Uni that I’d heard about. The Athletic Association officials wouldn’t let me run because I didn’t have a club, and I wasn’t registered. John Bowers overheard this and within 5 minutes he had talked the Officials into letting me run as a member of St George!
In the following days I did sign registration papers for St George and have continued to do so for the ensuing 36 years. The cross country season opened at Scarborough Park a few weeks later and I have been a regular there every season since.
The first championship I ran was the 1970 Novice, held, as now, at Scarborough early in the season. I finished 3rd and have never been eligible to run the Novice again!
In the 1970’s we had some very good distance and cross country runners in the club and I settled in to become part of a successful club team. Behind the runners we had the indefatigable figure of Alleyn Gainsford, who just lived for the red & white and his joy when the club did well was a great inspiration to me, and no doubt to others.
The Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1971 with a 50 mile track race on Hurstville Oval. Races of that distance were virtually unheard of in Australia at that time, so it was quite a novelty. About 30 club members started plus the Mayor of Hurstville but only 2 of us finished. John Bowers and myself were great friends and great rivals, and whilst John was still running I was determined to continue running. In the end I won in a time of 6 hours 29 min 41 sec.
Not long after joining St George I was invited onto the Executive and held several posts during the 1970’s. The one which I was greatly involved with was as Club representative to the Harrier Board, and this led to me being very active on a Harrier Board committee organizing the NSW winter program and courses.
Later in 1971 I was one of the 1900 or so who took part in the first “City to Surf” race finishing 24th.
By now it was clear that I didn’t have the speed or the talent to be placed in races over shorter distances, but my stamina gave me better results in longer races, so I decided to concentrate on the Marathon. I had some success in the Newcastle Marathon which also doubled as the NSW Country Championship, winning in 1971 and again in 1974 & 1975. From there I went on to win the 1975 NSW Marathon Championship held at Richmond. This was to be the one and only State Title that I ever won so I enjoyed the moment and can now look back and appreciate that single success better than those who win multiple titles.
My ambition was to win the NSW marathon again the next year, but on the day, I made my move to the front too early and had to be content with 2nd place behind club-mate Bob Talay.
I was selected in the NSW Marathon team for 5 successive years 1974 to 1978 and won team gold medals (first three runners from each State are the team) in 1974 & 1975 with a best placing of 10th achieved in 1975.
Leading up to Christmas 1977 I met Kerry, and we were married in April 1979 with several members of St George and their wives in attendance. Kerry took up running shortly after becoming associated with me and she is now also one of the longest standing members of St George DAC.
Tim was born in February 1983, Michael followed in July 1984 and Kathleen in May 1986 so we had our hands full. However, Kerry & I continued to run and the whole family were regulars at Scarborough on most Saturdays each season each year.
As soon as they were old enough all three children also took part in the handicap races and the boys continued their membership for 16 years although they are now mainly involved in other sports.
Since my retirement from the ANZ Bank in 2002, I have coordinated the Summer Cross Country competition at Scarborough and Gannons Parks from November to March each year. This has proved to be a very popular program with some fiercely fought pointscores and provides a useful interim to winter racing at Scarborough.
It was only by chance that I joined St George but my association with the Club has given me great enjoyment and satisfaction over the last nearly 37 years and it was a great honour and pleasure to receive Life Membership at the AGM in June 2006.
Best times:
Marathon 2hr 26 min 15 sec –Australian Championships Point Cook Vic 1975
20 miles 1hr 50min 55 sec Campbelltown 1971
Half Marathon 70min 42sec Sutherland 1975
City to Surf - 47min 40 sec 1977
David Edwards