The Howick Athletics Club was established in the early 1940’s before the Second World War. Unfortunately the records of the Club were destroyed in a fire at the Clubrooms in the 1980’s.
During the time the Club has been operating it has had it’s share of champions one of those being the NZ champion Aubrey Bellingham, a long time Howick resident, and know to be a prominent athlete in the 800 yard and mile. Another top athlete Millie Sampson was one of the forerunners in the woman’s middle distance running in New Zealand. In the 1960’s Millie was the fastest woman marathoner in the world, not once but three times the fastest being 3 hours 19min 33 seconds.
During WW2 with most of the able bodied men away the club went into recess and was not revived until 1956, from then until 1961 the club was mainly a children’s club.
When the Harriers section of the club was formed in 1961 the club took on a new look and Howick was a forerunner in Auckland and New Zealand. In the 1960s the club introduced the “Howick 10 mile road race”. This was known to be one of the most grueling races in the country, some illustrious names stood on the podium of this race, Jack Foster, John Walker, Dick Quax, Heather Matthews, Gillian Dunning and Kay Stanton.
Over the years the Howick Athletics Club has had a very good record of Athletes representing not only the Club, Counties and Manukau but also New Zealand Champs.
These days the Club has reverted to being entirely a children’s Club.
Three recent athletes Tamara Anstis, Nathan Hughes and Gina Morrissey (aged 13) were encouraged to compete in the Senior Auckland Champs many of the athletes competing were trying to qualify for the Commonwealth Games; all three to their credit had top 3 finishes in their events. Tamara Anstis qualified to represent Auckland at the NZ Champs were she finished 4th in high jump.
In 2013 Tamara Anstis competed as a Senior Athlete for Howick in the Auckland Senior High Jump Championship finishing 4th.
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