Allan Lawrence

Who is Allan Lawrence?

Allan Cleave Lawrence was an Australian athlete.

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. 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.

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.

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.