Bill Hartley (athlete)

Bill Hartley

Personal information
Nationality	British (English)
Born	27 June 1950 (1950-06-27) (age 75) Liverpool, England
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	hurdles
Club	Liverpool Harriers
Medal record Men's athletics Representing   Great Britain European Championships 1974 Rome 4 × 400 m relay Representing   England Commonwealth Games 1974 Christchurch 4 × 400 m relay

William John Hartley (born 27 June 1950) is an English former athlete.

Biography

Hartley was raised in Lydiate, Lancashire (now Merseyside) on the outskirts of Liverpool where his family ran a market garden.^{[ citation needed ]} He began his athletic career at age 13 as a high jumper. By age 18 he held the Under-19 record for 400 m hurdles (52.9 seconds).^{[ citation needed ]}

Hartley finished third behind Alan Pascoe in the 400 metres hurdles event at the 1973 AAA Championships ^{[1] [2]} and then won a silver medal representing England at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

The year continued to bring significant success as he won a gold medal at the European Championships in Rome in the 400 m relay and by virtue of being the highest placed British athlete in the 400 metres hurdles the 1974 AAA Championships was considered the British 400 metres hurdles champion. ^[6] He then won the title outright at the 1975 AAA Championships. ^[7]

He later represented England in the 400 metres hurdles event, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada. ^[8]

He was a member of the winning Europa Cup 4 × 400 m relay team, along with Alan Pascoe, David Jenkins and Jim Aukett. An achilles tendon problem ended his running career in 1982, after which he became a sprint coach and conditioner for Widnes Rugby League Club and then Wigan Rugby League Club.

In 1977 Hartley married fellow athlete Donna Hartley but the marriage later ended in divorce. Hartley now runs the family floriculture business in Lydiate. His son Tom Hartley plays for Lancashire County Cricket Club and England.

References

1. "Results" . The People. 15 July 1973. Retrieved 29 May 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
2. "Dave's run for the money" . Sunday Mirror. 15 July 1973. Retrieved 29 May 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "1974 Games". Team England.
4. "Athletes, 1974 England team". Team England.
5. "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
6. "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
7. "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
8. "1978 Athletes". Team England.

• Nursery
• gbrathletics

External links

• Bill Hartley at World Athletics
• Bill Hartley at Power of 10