Roger Robinson
Senior Writer
As featured in the issue of Running Times Magazine
Roger Robinson was an elite international runner for thirty years (1966-95), representing England and later New Zealand in the World Cross Country Championships. As a master, Roger had record-breaking wins at the Boston, New York, Vancouver, Canberra, and other marathons. He won world masters championships in cross country and on the roads road in the over-40 and over-50 divisions.
Now one of running's leading authors, speakers and historians, Roger is the author of three books on running and a columnist for New Zealand Runner. His books are Heroes and Sparrows: A Celebration of Running (1986), Running in Literature (2003), and the recently-completed 26.2 Stories of the Marathon, which he wrote with his wife, Kathrine Switzer. Roger wrote the TV dramatized documentary history of the marathon, A Hero's Journey, which has been screened globally. In addition to his writing, Roger has been a TV commentator at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, World marathon and cross country championships, and several major American road races, and was chief announcer at the Commonwealth Games of 1974 and 1990 and at the 2005 World Mountain Running Trophy in Wellington, New Zealand.
With a Cambridge, England, MA and PhD, Dr Robinson is Emeritus Professor at Victoria University of Wellington and still teaches part-time.
Roger and his wife divide their time between New York and Wellington, New Zealand. Although Roger's right knee announced its retirement from competitive racing in 1995, he still, at 66, runs about an hour most days, and occasionally races, at about 7-minute mile speed.