Misplaced Pages

Al Lawrence (distance runner)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Allan Lawrence (athlete)) Australian long-distance runner

Al Lawrence
Lawrence in 1960
Personal information
Full nameAllan Cleave Evan Lawrence
Born(1930-07-30)30 July 1930
Punchbowl, New South Wales, Australia
Died15 May 2017(2017-05-15) (aged 86)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight134 lb (61 kg)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event5000 m – marathon
ClubBotany Harriers, Sydney
Randwick Botany Harriers, Sydney
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)5000 m – 13:54.2 (1957)
10,000 m – 28:53.59 (1956)
Mar – 2:26:43 (1953)
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1956 Melbourne 10,000 m

Allan Cleave Evan Lawrence (9 July 1930 – 15 May 2017) was an Australian long-distance runner. He won a bronze medal for Australia in the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Lawrence was born in the Sydney suburb of Punchbowl. He competed for Australia in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the 10,000 metres where he won the bronze medal, clocking 28:53 (nearly 30 seconds faster than he had ever run before). He also qualified for the 5,000 metre final, but did not compete due to a strained leg muscle.

Two years later, he came to the University of Houston to run for the Cougars. In 1959–60, he captured consecutive NCAA cross-country titles and followed each with an AAU XC win. In 1960, he set a world indoor two-mile record with 8:46. Six days later, he won the AAU three-mile with another world record of 13:26. He was the only male runner to win both the NCAA and AAU Cross Country individual championship in the same year until 1992 (Bob Kennedy).

At the 1960 Olympic games in Rome, he placed fourth in the 5,000 metre heats, did not finish the 10,000 metres and placed a disappointing 54th in the marathon in 2:37.

During his career, he broke over 10 Australian records from 2 miles to 10,000m and was the first Australian to break 14 minutes for 5000m and 30 and 29 minutes for 10,000m.

Lawrence returned to America where he became an American citizen in the early 1980s. He formed the Al Lawrence Running Club in Houston, which remains strong today. He co-authored 3 books with Mark Scheid, "The Self-Coached Runner", "The Self-Coached Runner II", "Running and Racing after 35" and an Autobiography "To Olympus and Beyond" (A Story of Life, Sport, and Love on Four Continents)

References

  1. ^ "Allan Lawrence Bio, Stats, and Results". Sports-Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. Allan Lawrence. trackfield.brinkster.net
  3. "Allan Lawrence 1930 – 2017". Australian Olympic Committee. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  4. "Lawrence Not to Run in 5000 Final". Google News. The Age. 18 November 1956. p. 11. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  5. Brown, Gwilym (5 December 1960). "A Double Double For Allen". Sports Illustrated Vault. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2017.

External links

Media related to Al Lawrence (distance runner) at Wikimedia Commons

Australian national champions in men's 10,000 m
Note: 6 miles until 1966
US National Championship winners in men's 10,000-meter run
1876–1878
New York Athletic Club
  • 1876–79: Not held
1879–1888
NAAAA
1888–1979
Amateur Athletic Union
1980–1992
The Athletics Congress
1993–onwards
USA Track & Field
Notes
  • Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
  • OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
  • 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Distance: Until 1924 the event was 5 miles; from 1925–27 and from 1929–31 it was over 6 miles.
USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's 3000 m (5000 m, 2 miles, 3 miles)
1906–1979
Amateur Athletic Union
1980–1992
The Athletics Congress
1993–present
USA Track & Field
Notes* Events before 1906 are considered unofficial. Distances have varied as follows: 2 Miles (1899–1931) and odd numbered years since 2015, 5000 meters (1933–1939), 3 Miles 1932, (1940–1986), and 3000 meters (1987–2014) and even numbered years since 2014
USA Cross Country Championships men's winners


Stub icon

This biographical article relating to Australian athletics is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon 1 Stub icon 2

This article about an Australian Olympic medalist is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: