Halberg, Murray (1933-…), a New Zealand athlete, was one of the greatest distance runners in the nation’s history. Halberg was the first New Zealand athlete to break 4 minutes in the mile run. During his career, he set world records in both the indoor and outdoor 2-mile run and set a world record in the outdoor 3-mile run. He also ran on a world record 4-mile relay team, though the record was never officially approved because the four runners were not from the same country. Halberg won the 5,000-meter (3.1-mile) event at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome. Halberg retired from competition in 1964.
Murray Gordon Halberg was born in Eketahuna on July 7, 1933, on the North Island of New Zealand. He succeeded as a runner in spite of an arm injury suffered at the age of 17 while playing rugby. The injury almost cost Halberg his life and left him with a permanently deformed arm. In 1963, Halberg set up the Halberg Trust to support children with disabilities and served as chairman until 1990. In 1988, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and became known as Sir Murray Halberg. His autobiography, A Clean Pair of Heels, was published in 1963.
See also Track and field .
