Al Lawrence distance runner

Allan Cleave Evan Lawrence (9 July 1930 – 15 May 2017) was an Australian long-distance runner who won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne. Born in Punchbowl, Sydney, he also qualified for the 5,000 metre final but did not compete due to a strained leg muscle.

Lawrence moved to the United States and ran for the University of Houston, where he achieved consecutive NCAA cross-country titles in 1959–60 and won AAU cross-country titles. He set world indoor records for two miles (8:46) and three miles (13:26) in 1960. At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, he placed fourth in the 5,000 metres, did not finish the 10,000 metres, and finished 54th in the marathon.

Throughout his career, Lawrence broke over 10 Australian records from 2 miles to 10,000 metres. He was the first Australian to break 14 minutes for 5,000 metres and set national records for 10,000 metres with times of 30 and 29 minutes. After becoming an American citizen in the early 1980s, he founded the Al Lawrence Running Club in Houston, which remains active today. He co-authored several books on running, including *The Self-Coached Runner*, *Running and Racing after 35*, and his autobiography *To Olympus and Beyond*.