Ivan Keats

New Zealand track and field athlete Ivan Keats began his career running in the 3,000 steeplechase before moving up to the marathon. At the national marathon championships Keats finished third in 1961 and second in 1964, with the latter result securing him a place on the Olympic team. In the marathon at the Tokyo Games he finished down in 42nd place in 2-36:16.8, a good 15 minutes slower than the time he had expected to run. Keats later said that he over-trained for the race by doing 100 miles a week, along with not coping well with the smoggy conditions during the run. He continued running in marathons for the next 20 years, with his final race coming in Rotorua in 1985 when he was 48-years-old.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-18:43 (1964).