Clarke, Ron (1937-2015), an Australian athlete, established himself as one of the greatest long-distance runners in track and field history. From 1963 to 1970, Clarke set 17 world records in distances from 2 miles to 20,000 meters. During a tour of the United States and Europe in 1965, he became the first man in the world to run 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) in less than 13 minutes.
Ronald William Clarke was born on Feb. 21, 1937, in Melbourne. He set a junior world mile record in 1956 but withdrew from running to devote more time to his career as an accountant. He returned to competing in important races in 1962. Clarke won the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the Olympic Games in 1964, his only Olympic medal. He retired from competitive running in 1970. Clarke died on June 17, 2015.
