Euan Robertson

Who was Euan Robertson?

Euan James Robertson was a notable New Zealand distance runner in the 1970s, one of the great periods of New Zealand distance running.

At the 1974 Commonwealth Games he was fifth in the 3000m steeplechase.

He was accepted by the selectors for the 1976 Summer Olympics on his fourth attempt, after running in Europe and achieving a New Zealand record time. He finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase at Montreal; reducing the New Zealand record from his 8 minutes 22.8 seconds at Stockholm to 8 minutes 21.08 seconds.

At the 1978 Commonwealth Games he was fourth in the 3000m steeplechase.

He ran in the 3000m steeplechase, and cross-country; and later won New Zealand senior titles in the 5000m, 10,000m, 3000m steeplechase and cross-country. He was born in Lower Hutt near Wellington and educated at Scots College and Massey University, where he gained a degree in agricultural soil science. He was a soil conservator for the Ministry of Works from 1973, then moving to Cambridge and Auckland and gaining a MBA degree.

He maried Charlotte in 1973; they had four sons. He was running with a group of young athletes on the sand dunes at Bethells Beach near Auckland when he collapsed and died of a heart attack aged 47 in 1995.