Gareth Wilford is a native of Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. He attended Nobel Primary School in Johannesburg from 1980 to 1987 where he was a member of the Noble Primary Cricket, Rugby, and Track & Field teams. Honors include the NORSAV Regional High Jump Champion. He was also a member of the Transvaal All-Star Club Soccer team and was recognized as Noble Primary Dux Scholarum (best all-round athlete and academic combined) and Victor Ludorum (best athlete).
He was graduated from Edenvale High School, Johannesburg, South Africa in 1992. While at Edenvale, Wilford was a member of the Cricket team, captain of the Rugby team and selected to Johannesburg Regional Team.
In track, he placed 5 th at the National Club Championship, was the 1992 High School State Champion in the 800m, placed 3 rd in the 1500m at the State Club Championship in 1992, ranked 7 th in South Africa in the 800m and 1500m in 1991 and placed 3 rd in the State Club Championship in 1992.
In cross country, he was a standout athlete as the Central Johannesburg District Champion, 1993 All State (Transvaal) and ranked among the top ten in the State.
Wilford arrived on the Cumberland College campus in 1994. His presence on the Cross Country team was immediately met with success by winning the KIAC Conference, wining the Regional and qualifying for The National Championships all four years. His team also won the National Christian Colleges championships. Wilford was a 14 time all American in both cross country and track and still holds the school Record in the Mile at 4:01.69.
During his freshman year in 1994, he came in 33 rd at the National Championships in Wisconsin. At the Indoor Nationals in 1995, he was 8 th in the Mile while finishing 6 th in the Outdoor Nationals. In 1995, at the Cross Country National Championships he finished 17 th. In 1996, competing at the Indoor Mile he finished 4 th and in the 1000m finished another 4 th place finish. The same year he finished 1 st at the Regional Cross Country Championships, 2 nd at the National Christian College Championships and 9 th at the National Cross Country Champion.
In 1997 at the Indoor Track Mile, he finished 5 th followed by a 2 nd place finish in the 1000m. At the NCCAA Outdoor Track Championship he finish 2 nd in the 1500M and 3 rd in the 800m. At the NAIA National Championships he finished 2 nd. In the Cross Country NCCAA he finished 1 st while at the NAIA National Championships he was 5 th.
He was forced to redshirt in 1998 but placed 8 th at the National 10k Road Championships in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
In 1999 with a time of 4.01.69 at the Indoor Mile, Wilford was good enough for a top 50 World ranking by Track and Field News. The same year his Distance Medley Relay Team placed 5 th in the Penn Relays, good enough for a Top Ten Ranking in the World. Later, at the Outdoor Championships he placed 5 th in the 1500m.
His post collegiate career began immediately. In Indianapolis, 1999 to 2004 Wilford belonged to the Club Indiana Invaders a Nike Based Indianapolis Club. During that time he held the unofficial South African National 5000m record and was nationally ranked in the indoor 3000m. Along with the success I enjoyed on the track came a few accolades on the road racing circuit, including a 6 th place finish in the 30000 participant Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago with a time of 23:19 for 5 miles, which finished the year in the South African top 10 ranking list.
Other highlights include:
1999 - 8 th Placed Team National Championships, Long Beach, CA
1999 Runner up Home Depot Cross Country Invitational, Rochester, NY
2000 – 5 th Placed Team National Cross Country Championships-Boston, MA
2001 – National Record indoor 5000m, RSA, top 10 Indoor Ranking 3000m RSA, 5 Mile time of 23.19 for a Top 10 ranking in South Africa
All Star Road Racing Series Champion – Indianapolis Indiana
In 2003, he was the Nationals Club Champion in the 1500m in Bloomington, Indiana. He placed 2 nd in the 5000m at the National Club Championships. The same year, his team won the Men’s National Track and Field Championships.
Wilford resides in Indianapolis, Indiana with his wife, Laura Walker, also a 2000 graduate of Cumberland College having lettered in volleyball and track and field. They are the proud parents of one daughter, Aislinn, and are expecting their second child in April 2010.
Currently, he is the General Manager of The Running Company where he promotes running, walking, fitness training tips and techniques, as well as local and regional events.
