Ron Clarke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of the Gold Coast | |
| In office 25 March 2004 (2004-3-25) – 27 February 2012 (2012-2-27) | |
| Deputy | Daphne McDonald |
| Preceded by | Gary Baildon |
| Succeeded by | Tom Tate |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald William Clarke (1937-02-21)21 February 1937 Melbourne,Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 17 June 2015(2015-06-17) (aged 78) Southport,Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Helen Clarke |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 5,000, 10,000 m,marathon |
| Club | Glenhuntly Athletics Club |
| Sports achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | 5,000 m – 13:16.6 (1966) 10,000 m – 27:39.89 (1965) Marathon – 2:20:26 (1964)[1][2] |
Medal record | |
Ronald William Clarke,AO,MBE (21 February 1937 – 17 June 2015) was an Australian athlete, writer, and theMayor of the Gold Coast from 2004 to 2012. He was one of the best-known middle- and long-distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeenworld records.
Clarke was born 21 February 1937 inMelbourne,Victoria.[1] He attended Essendon Primary School, Essendon High School (now part ofEssendon Keilor College) andMelbourne High School. His brotherJack Clarke and fatherTom played Australian rules football in theVictorian Football League withEssendon. He was a qualified accountant.[3]
In 1956, when Clarke was still a promising 19-year-old, he was chosento light theOlympic Flame in theMelbourne Cricket Ground during the opening ceremonies of the1956 Summer Olympics inMelbourne.[4]
During the 1960s, Clarke won 9 Australian championships[5] and 12 Victorian track championships ranging from 1500 m to 6 miles (9.7 km).
He won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metre (m) race at the1964 Summer Olympics when he was upset byBilly Mills, and never won an Olympic gold medal.[1] However,Emil Zátopek gave him one of his own gold medals, which Clarke described as one of his most cherished presents. At the1968 Summer Olympics inMexico City, Clarke collapsed and nearly died fromaltitude sickness sustained during the gruelling 10,000 m race final. Despite training in theAlps to get acclimatised to high altitudes at Mexico City, this could not put him on par with many opponents from Africa, who had always run at high altitude (with the notable exception of 5,000 m gold medalist and 10,000 m bronze medalistMohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia, who was born and lived not far above sea level). Clarke finished in sixth place,[1] but remembered nothing of the last lap. He recovered sufficiently to compete in the 5,000 metre heats a few days later.[6]
In the1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, he won silver in the3-mile event, and in the1966 Games he won silver medals in the 3 miles (4.8 km) and 6 miles (9.7 km) events.[7]
During a 44-day European tour in 1965, he competed 18 times and broke 12 world records, including the 20,000 m (12.4 miles). On 10 July, at London'sWhite City Stadium, he became the first man to run 3 miles in under 13 minutes, lowering the world record to 12:52.4. Four days later, in Oslo, he lowered his own 10,000 m world record by 36.2 seconds to 27:39.4, becoming the first man to break the 28 minute barrier.[8][9]
| Distance | Time / distance | Location | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 m | 13:34.8 | Hobart, Australia | 1965-01-16[10] | |
| 5000 m | 13:33.6 | Auckland, New Zealand | 1965-02-01[11] | |
| 5000 m | 13:25.8 | Los Angeles, United States | 1965-06-04[12] | |
| 5000 m | 13:16.6 | Stockholm, Sweden | 1966-07-05[13] | |
| 10,000 m | 28:15.6 | Melbourne, Australia | 1963-12-18[14] | |
| 10,000 m | 27:39.4 | Oslo, Norway | 1965-07-14[15] | |
| 20,000 m | 59:22.8 | Geelong, Australia | 1965-10-27[16] | As part of 1-hour world record. |
| 1 hour | 20,232 m | Geelong, Australia | 1965-10-27[16] | |
| 2 miles | 8:19.8 | Västerås, Sweden | 1967-07-27[17] | |
| 2 miles | 8:19.6 | London, England | 1968-08-24[18] | |
| 3 miles | 13:07.6 | Melbourne, Australia | 1964-12-03[19] | |
| 3 miles | 13:00.4 | Los Angeles, United States | 1965-06-04 | As part of 5000 m world record. |
| 3 miles | 12:52.4 | London, England | 1965-07-10 | |
| 3 miles | 12:50.4 | Stockholm, Sweden | 1966-07-05[17] | As part of 5000 m world record. |
| 6 miles | 27:17.8 | Melbourne, Australia | 1963-12-18[14] | |
| 6 miles | 26:47.0 | Oslo, Norway | 1965-07-14[15] | As part of 10,000 m world record |
| 10 miles | 47:12.8 | Melbourne, Australia | 1965-03-04[20] |
In 1965, Clarke beat the 10,000-metre world record inTurku, Finland, with a time of 28:14.0; however, it was never ratified, as it was said that permission to run was requested too late.[9][21]
He was electedmayor of the Gold Coast in2004, defeating incumbentGary Baildon. Clarke and his wife, Helen, first came to the Gold Coast for a holiday in 1957. The couple returned almost every year thereafter, and in 1995, after 14 years abroad, mainly in Europe, came back for good.[22] He was re-elected in2008.[23]
Clarke resigned as Mayor of the Gold Coast on 27 February 2012, when he announced his nomination to run as an independent candidate for the seat ofBroadwater in the2012 Queensland state election.[24] Clarke failed in this campaign, coming fourth and recording only a 4.6% primary vote.[25]
FormerAustralian Football League CEOAndrew Demetriou stated that Clarke as Mayor of the Gold Coast played a major role in the AFL establishing a new teamGold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast.[26]
In 2011, Clarke was part of the lobbying team that secured the2018 Commonwealth Games for theGold Coast, Queensland.[27]
In 1966, Clarke was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "In recognition of service to athletics".[1][28]
In 2000, he was awarded theAustralian Sports Medal for "Significant contribution as a competitor (Athletics)".[29]
In 2001, he was awarded theCentenary Medal for "Distinguished service to theeco-tourism industry".[29]
In the 2013Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was appointed anOfficer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for distinguished service to the community through a range of leadership roles with local government and philanthropic organisations, and to the promotion of athletics."[1][30]
In 2005, Geelong Athletics honoured Clarke with an athletics meet to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his breaking theworld record for the 20,000 metres and his one-hour run atLandy Field in October 1965. This meet is held annually as part of theAthletics Australia National Meet Series.
On 15 March 2006, Ron Clarke was one of the final four runners who carried theQueen's Baton around theMCG stadium during the2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony inMelbourne,Victoria, Australia.[37]
Emil Zátopek had great respect for Ron Clarke. In 1966 (often erroneously noted as 1968), he invited the Australian to Czechoslovakia, and as a parting gift he gave him his 1952 Olympic 10,000-metre gold medal with the following words: "Not out of friendship but because you deserve it."[38][39]
Clarke died ofkidney failure on 17 June 2015 at Allamanda Hospital inSouthport, Queensland.[40] Clarke is survived by his wife Helen and sons Marcus and Nicolas. His daughter Monique died ofbreast cancer in 2009.[3][41]
Prime MinisterTony Abbott andOpposition LeaderBill Shorten paid tribute to Clarke inParliament on the day of his death by stating that a great Australian had been lost with his death.[42]Herb Elliott, an Australian 1500-metre Olympic gold medallist, said "Ron was a great man. His contribution to athletics was enormous. He was also a wonderful contributor to public health through lifestyle programs and gymnasiums and the communities in which he lived. Ron will be greatly missed".[43]
John Landy, who famously helped Clarke when he fell during a mile race at the 1956 Australian Championships, said, "Ron Clarke, by his running feats inspired Australian distance runners and in a world sense, demonstrated the potential athletics achievements possible."[43]Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon gold medallist, said: "Ron Clarke was my idol. I grew up seeing Ron Clarke in the dark blue singlet with the V on it – to me that was the symbol of running."[44]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) ('Snippet'Archived 17 June 2015 at theWayback Machine via Google books)
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder 18 December 1963 – 3 September 1972 | Succeeded by |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by | Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1965 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Men's 5000 m Best Year Performance 1966–1968 | Succeeded by |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Preceded by | Final Olympic torchbearer Melbourne 1956 With:Hans Wikne | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Final Summer Olympic torchbearer Melbourne 1956 With:Hans Wikne | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Mayor of the Gold Coast 2004–2012 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
