When Ron Clark turned to writing his memoirs, he titled it Measure of success.
The man who changed the world of distance running, created several successful business ventures, created one of Australia’s first eco-tourism resorts and served two terms as mayor of the Gold Coast, has made it clear that his definition of success has nothing to do with fame and fortune.
“Success for me is associated with a kind of satisfaction, the sense of fulfillment and excitement that comes with achieving personal goals and objectives, in my case participating in worthwhile projects and knowing that my contribution makes a difference in their outcome,” Clark wrote.
By all accounts, Ron Clark’s contribution in all of these areas has been a success. Fortunately, for track and field fans, his achievements on the track around the world were the most visible and accessible elements of his success. The shop window of an impressive establishment.
It is also the easiest to measure. Clark’s races and the records he broke—which weren’t strong enough—redefined the standards of distance running. He inspired the next generation of athletes by his example of racing hard and often. Mind you, it took years before any of his successors would surpass him. Lasse Viren achieved his marks in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in 1972. Fittingly, the 10,000 meters record came in the Olympic final in Munich, the first leg of the Finnish runner’s back-to-back 5,000/10,000 meters doubles.
In Oslo a few weeks ago, Key Robinson set an Australian record in the 5000 metres. This was less than 60 years after the date on July 5, 1966, when Clark set a world record of 13:16.6 at the legendary Old Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. On his way to the 5,000, Clark also broke his own 3-mile world record, clocking 12:50.4. Robinson’s time for the 5,000 was 12:50.82. Almost identical.
This is your measure of success. One hundred and seventy-two meters over 60 years. Kee Robinson in 2026 ran the 5,000 meters in the same time that Ron Clark ran three miles in 1966. That’s kind of a measure of success.
While writing about Robinson’s achievement, I noted how the men’s 5,000-meter national record demonstrated great endurance. Clark held it for nearly 33 years before Lee Troup snapped it up by a few seconds in Melbourne in 1999.
“Troopie” received much acclaim as the first Australian to beat Clark’s record (although Dave Fitzsimons and Shaun Creighton both came close). But he only had ownership of the register for three years before Craig Mottram took over. Although he improved the record four more times, Mottram held the record unbroken until Robinson’s effort in Oslo – a time similar to Clarke’s time at the top.
The crowd-favourite chased Kenyan Luke Kipkosgei – four-time Zatopek 10,000 winner and race record holder) – home in 13:14.82 at the 1999 Melbourne Track Classic. He looked capable of going faster too, but decided his chances would be better in the marathon and shifted his focus to the road event.
By contrast, Mottram was a monster on the track, a man who chased Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele over 5,000m in successive years at the major London Athletics meeting and inflicted a rare defeat on Bekele over 3,000m in the 2006 World Cup.
In setting his first national record of 13:12.04, back at the 2002 Melbourne Track Classic, Mottram narrowly lost to Stephen Cherono of Kenya (later, like Saeed Saif Shaheen of Qatar, the 3000 steeplechase world record holder). It was a great launch for the budding Australian distance star.
By the 2004 Athens Olympic year, Mottram was ready to climb the ladder further. He took a Clark-like ax to the national record, smashing it first to 13:10.47 — a modest fraction — then 13:03.37, and finally 12:55 76.
He was now competing against the best of the best. The time of 13:10 came in Hengelo where Mottram finished seventh behind Bekele’s world record of 12:37.35. I remember talking to him after the race about the reality check of setting a national record but finishing 200 meters behind the winner!
The 13:03 came at the Bislett Games held in Bergen that year as Bislett Stadium was under renovation. He was a close fifth this time behind Kenya’s John Kibuen (13:01.94).
Mottram’s next race over 5000m produced the bomb, with a national record of 12:55.76 a step behind Haile Gebrselassie’s 12:55.51. “Who was that tall guy,” Jeb asked the tall young Australian who nearly towered over him.
Mottram reached the Olympic final, finishing eighth, a result that upset him as much as it pleased him. On the one hand, he wasn’t going to be happy with an eighth-place finish at the Olympics, and on the other, London raised his hopes for something better. That would come the following year with his bronze medal at the World Championships in Helsinki.
Before Kye Robinson replaced Mottram at the top of the Australian 5000m list, Stuart McSwain was 0.31 off Mottram’s record, with Jack Rayner and Robinson also breaking 13 minutes. Morgan McDonald sits a few tenths off the wrong side for 13 minutes. Fourth at last year’s World Championships and bronze medalist in the 3,000m at the World Indoor Championships, Robinson has now run the record within one second of under 12:50.
Where to next.
