New Redwood hall-of-famers: Tiburon native reflects on historic mile relay with Robin Williams

Former Tiburon residents Tom Estudillo (third left) and late comedian Robin Williams (left) will be inducted into the Redwood High School athletic hall of fame with mile-relay teammates Todd Norris (second left) and Tom Poppin (right), as seen in 1969 ahead of the state finals. They qualified with a record-setting run, which still stands, at the North Coast sectionals. (Marin Independent Journal / Jim Kean)

Tom Estudillo first met Robin Williams long before the late comedian became a well-known actor with Academy and Emmy awards to his name.

Estudillo, who grew up in Tiburon, and Williams, who lived in Paradise Cay for many years before his death in 2014, were teammates on the Redwood High School track-and-field squad that set the school record for fastest time in the mile relay back in 1969, at 3 minutes, 21.54 seconds.

Estudillo, the lone living member of the team, will be inducted with Williams and late teammates Tom Poppin and Todd Norris into Redwood’s Athletic Hall of Fame at a banquet March 8.

“It’s just an amazing feeling to know that it’s still the record,” says Estudillo, now 73 and living in Los Angeles. “I remember when it was 54 years, now 55, and coming up on 56 years. No one’s been able to beat it, and it’s the second-fastest mile-relay time for the whole county.”

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