Clarke, Ron (1937-...), an Australian athlete, established himself as one of the greatest long-distance runners in track and field history. Between 1963 and 1970, Clarke set 17 world records in distances from 2 miles to 20,000 meters. During a tour of the United States and Europe in 1965, he became the first man in the world to run 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) in less than 13 minutes.