Harold Nelson (athlete)

Born in Dunedin on 26 April 1923,^[4] Nelson was the son of Grace Ledingham Stewart—daughter of artist Eliza Anscombe—and William Alexander Anthony Nelson.^[5] He was educated at Otago Boys' High School, and was inspired to take up athletics after seeing a film in 1938 about the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin that included New Zealander Jack Lovelock's winning the 1500 m gold medal.^[6] Nelson served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during World War II.^[7]

On 20 March 1948, Nelson married Margaret Joyce Calder, and the couple went on to have four children.^[8][9]

Nelson graduated from the University of Otago in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts.^[10]

Coached by Bernie McKernan, Nelson first came to national prominence as an athlete when he won the under-19 one-mile title at the New Zealand junior championships in 1941, in a national junior record time of 4:30.0.^[1][2][6] His athletics career was interrupted by World War II, but during the war he won a number of services athletics events.^[3] Following an accident while serving with the RNZAF, Nelson was invalided home and he feared that he may never run again.^[1] However, after an operation, he was able to resume his running career.^[1]

In 1946, Nelson won the national cross-country championship, and in 1947 he won the New Zealand one-mile and three-mile titles at the national championships in Auckland.^[3] The same year, he captured the one- and three-mile titles at the New South Wales amateur athletics championships at the Sydney Cricket Ground.^[3]

At the New Zealand athletics championships in 1948, Nelson won both the three- and six-mile events.^[2] His time of 29:57.4 over six miles was a New Zealand record, and made him the second-fastest athlete in the world over the distance at that time.^[2][3][11]

Nelson was subsequently selected as team captain and flagbearer for the New Zealand team at the 1948 Olympic Games in London.^[3] Competing in the 10,000 m, he suffered from dehydration and had to withdraw after 17 laps.^[6] In the heats of the 5000 m, he recorded a time of 15:34.4, finishing sixth and not progressing to the final.^[4]

At the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, Nelson won the gold medal in the 6 miles, in a time of 30:29.6.^[12] He also competed in the 3 miles, winning the silver medal with a time of 14:28.8, behind Englishman Len Eyre.^[12]

Nelson won his final national championship title, the cross country, in 1951.^[2][12]

A schoolteacher, Nelson and his family moved to Nelson in 1951, where he taught at Nelson College for 12 years.^[6][12] He then taught for six years at Waimea College, where he coached the young Rod Dixon.^[6] Nelson completed his teaching career at Nelson Polytechnic, retiring in 1983.^[6]

Nelson remained active in athletics as a coach and official in the Nelson area.^[12] He organised the athletics at the 1983 South Pacific Games in Apia, and was a track official at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.^[3] He participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics torch relay when it travelled through Wellington.^[6] He served two terms as president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletics Coaches' Association, and was a various times director of athletics coaching in Western Samoa, the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands.^[13]

In the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours, Nelson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to athletics.^[14] In 2006, he was the inaugural inductee into the Nelson Legends of Sport gallery.^[6] He was recognised as New Zealand's oldest living Olympian in 2009.^[15][16]

Nelson suffered a stroke in 1988, and in 2006 his wife, Joyce, died.^[6] Nelson died at Richmond on 1 July 2011,^[17] and his ashes were buried with those of his wife at Marsden Valley Cemetery.^[18]

Since November 2011, an annual athletics meet at Nelson's Saxton Field has been called the Harold Nelson Classic.^[19] The southern entrance to the Saxton Field athletics track was renamed Harold Nelson Way in 2012.^[20]