Sir John Walker

Not too many athletes get knighted, but John Walker was one of them. He was the first man to run the mile under 3:50, and won the 1500 meters at the 1976 Olympics.

He set the New Zealand record in the mile in 1982 in a race when Steve Scott (US), Walker and Ray Flynn (Ireland) set their respective national records in the mile in the same race. All three stood for 25 years until Little Rock's Alan Webb broke Scott's record. The other two still stand.

Walker was appointed a Knight Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours.