Bill Baillie

Bill Baillie
Baillie in 1958
Personal information
Birth nameWilliam David Baillie
Born(1934-05-28)28 May 1934
Nelson, New Zealand
Died25 December 2018(2018-12-25) (aged 84)
Cooks Beach, New Zealand
Height1.69 m (5 ft 6+12 in)[1]
Weight65 kg (143 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportTrack and field
Coached byArthur Lydiard
Achievements and titles
National finals880 yards champion (1954, 1955)
1 mile champion (1958, 1961)
3 miles champion (1956)
6 miles champion (1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)
Cross-country champion (1960, 1963)
10 miles road race champion (1965)[2]
Personal best(s)880 yds – 1:52.3
1 mile – 3:59.2
5000 m – 13:40.0
20,000 m – 59:28.6

William David Baillie MNZM (28 May 1934 – 25 December 2018) was a New Zealand runner, who represented his country at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. There, he placed sixth in the 5000 m.[3] He also competed at the 1954, 1958, 1962, and 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. At the time of his death, he held New Zealand records for the 20000 m and the 1 hour events.[3]

In the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours, Baillie was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to athletics.[4]

Baillie died in Cooks Beach[5] on 25 December 2018 at the age of 84.[3][6]

  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bill Baillie". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  2. ^ Hollings, Stephen (December 2016). "National champions 1887–2016" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Norquay, Kevin (27 December 2018). "New Zealand Olympian and distance running folk hero Bill Baillie dies". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2001". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 4 June 2001. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ^ "New Zealand athletics legend Bill Baillie dies 'peacefully in his sleep' aged 84". Stuff.co.nz. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Bill Baillie, holder of obscure running records, dead at 84". The Washington Post. 27 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.