About The Trust
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The presence of Bill Richards Marathon Trust funds puts Athletics Canterbury in a unique and quite special position. As a Centre we have a real ability to improve the quality of both current and future long-distance runners affiliated to our region.
Bill Richards (in black shirt No. 28) during the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Marathon run in sweltering conditions. He came 17th in 2:41
Overseen by Trustees focused on making it possible for emerging long distance runners to achieve their potential, we are keen to engage with those whose goals align with our objectives.
*Applications for the event grants can be made at any time.
WHO IS Bill richards
Bill’s athletic career began with the Technical Athletic Club in 1948 when he was 23 and in 1954, he was fourth in the New Zealand Cross Country Championship, was a consistently high-standard performer in track and road races and one of the first to embrace high mileage in training.
A.W. (Bill) Richards was the leading long-distance runner in Canterbury in the 1950s. A popular, modest, quiet, and friendly athlete, he was the first to represent New Zealand overseas in the marathon when he ran in the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956.
FEATURED STORIES
“I was treated to an amazing traditional Japanese awards ceremony following the race and received a certificate and a trophy I will cherish forever.“
Caden Shields, NOBEOKA MARATHON JAPAN
Photo credits: Brett Larner
I was fortunate to be able to race Nobeoka marathon on February 9th this year. Nobeoka is generally a Japanese only race and doesn't usually have international athletes, however my agent Brett Larner who lives in Tokyo thought it would be an excellent race for me to chase a PB. Nobeoka is quite a historical place for Japanese running as one of the top corporate teams Asahi Kasei trains and lives there. In the 80s and 90s Asahi Kasei travelled to Canterbury for training camps so there was a strong connection immediately with the city for me.
Race day was very cold (Below 0 deg) but sunny with minimal wind and I had a great pack to run with at 2.11 pace. As I was not in the invited field my bottles were placed at the back of the tables so I only managed to get 2 out of 7 of my bottles. Fortunately I had extra gels on me so managed to get enough carbohydrate. The pack stayed together until 33km when the winner made a very strong move (2.52 km split) up the biggest hill on the course and I largely ran solo into the finish to end up in 5th place in a new PB of 2.11.35.
I was treated to an amazing traditional Japanese awards ceremony following the race and received a certificate and a trophy I will cherish forever.
Thank you to my club DGRS and Don Greig for the incredible support they gave me in my build up and to the Bill Richards trust for help in covering some of my costs to get to Japan.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
Providing funds and incentives
Running training and interactive sessions to give emerging athletes the skills and knowledge to progress
Supporting coaching staff so they increase their knowledge
Making Canterbury a supportive place to develop and achieve success in this running discipline
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For more information
GRANTS AVAILABLE
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More information coming soon. For urgent requests, please send us an email.
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Aimed at those runners both new to or on the journey towards running a marathon the next of these interactive sessions will be held in early 2026. Stay tuned for more details soon.
We are delighted that Matt Ingram and Oska Baynes have agreed to facilitate this session covering, amongst other things:
An overview of training assistance devices ie smart watch, watch info, Strava info and the validity of this info. Other training devices, threshold testing in the lab and within a session.
The short history of shoes, where they have got to now, the key changes over that time, and the future. Shoes for different types of runners ie pronators etc.
While you can just turn up for the session it is always good to know in advance roughly how many chairs to organise etc. If you are interested then can you please give us your name via this form.
Bill Richards will be remembered for his sportsmanship, his interest in others and his willingness to train hard to achieve the high standards he set himself both in his athletic and his personal life. If those who benefit from the Bill Richards Marathon Trust aim for similar standards, their gain from his legacy will be more than merely financial and improved performances will be a fitting tribute to his memory.
To make a donation or if you wish to have a confidential discussion with the BRMT please contact us.
