On January 16, 1965, Australian middle-distance legend Ron Clarke made historical past by breaking his fourth world document. This time, he took down Vladimir Kuts’ long-standing 5000m mark by a fifth of a second with a time of 13:34.8.
Clarke’s time was set on a grass observe in Hobart, Tasmania, the place he dominated the race from begin to end, virtually lapping all of his rivals.
On the time, Clarke was no stranger to the world document books. Already holding the data for the three miles (13:07.6), six miles (27:17.8), and 10,000m (28:15.6) distances, he grew to become the primary athlete since Finland’s Taisto Maki (1939-42) to carry all 4 data concurrently.
The yr 1965 would go on to be a ground-breaking yr for Clarke, as he set an astounding 11 world data throughout eight completely different distances.
Lower than three weeks after his triumph in Hobart, Clarke returned to motion in Auckland on February 1, as soon as once more enhancing his personal mark with a brand new time of 13:33.6 at Western Springs Stadium.
By June, Clarke had travelled to Los Angeles, the place he obliterated his 5000m document as soon as once more, posting a blistering 13:25.8 on the Compton Invitational. Throughout this race, he additionally broke one other of his personal data, operating three miles in 13:00.4.
However Clarke’s feats didn’t cease there. In March, he had already established a world document for the 10-mile distance, ending in 47:12.8.
In June of 1965, he travelled to Turku, Finland, the place he bettered his 10,000m document with 28:14.0, although it was by no means formally ratified attributable to a problem with race authorisation.
Nonetheless, he continued to refine his type, reducing his three-mile mark in London in July to 12:52.4 and additional enhancing his six-mile document in Oslo with a 26:47.0 efficiency, as a part of a brand new 10,000m world document of 27:39.4.
He capped off his extraordinary yr in Geelong, Australia, the place he set each the 20,000m world document with 59:22.8 and the one-hour document, finishing a formidable 20,232 metres in that point.
On prime of all of the world data he broke throughout his profitable profession, his achievements additionally included Olympic 10,000m bronze on the 1964 Video games in Tokyo and 4 Commonwealth medals. After his athletics profession Clarke went on to turn out to be mayor of the Gold Coast from 2004 to 2012 and was additionally awarded the Order of Australia and made an MBE.
To have fun the 60-year anniversary, you’ll find our protection of all of Ron Clarke’s data by way of the Athletics Weekly archive, and look by means of all of our copies over time.
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