Ben St Lawrence
{{short description|Australian long-distance runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name = Ben St Lawrence
|nationality = Australian
|image = Ben St.Lawrence, Thomas Ayeko 2012.jpg
|imagesize = 140px
|caption = Ben St Lawrence (in yellow) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
|sport = Track and field
|event = 5,000{{nbsp}}metres
10,000{{nbsp}}metres
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|11|7|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
|weight=65 kg
|pb = 5,000{{nbsp}}metres: 13:10.08
10,000{{nbsp}}metres: 27:24.95
}}
Ben St Lawrence (born 7 November 1981) is an Australian long-distance runner who specialises in the 5,000 and 10,000{{nbsp}}metres.{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/australia/ben-stlawrence-231661 |title=St Lawrence / Profile |publisher=IAAF |access-date=21 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611005537/http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/australia/ben-stlawrence-231661 |archive-date=11 June 2016}} He is the former Australian and Oceanian record holder in the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres.{{cite news |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/karoki-and-kipyego-clock-10000m-world-leads-i |title=Karoki and Kipyego Clock 10,000m World Leads in Palo Alto |work=IAAF |date=2 May 2011 |access-date=21 July 2016 |author=Gordon, Ed |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103165811/http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/karoki-and-kipyego-clock-10000m-world-leads-i |archive-date=3 November 2012}} St Lawrence competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.{{cite web |url=http://rio2016.olympics.com.au/athlete/ben-st-lawrence1 |title=Ben St Lawrence / AUS Team / Rio 2016 |publisher=Rio 2016 |access-date=21 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706121505/http://rio2016.olympics.com.au/athlete/ben-st-lawrence1 |archive-date=6 July 2016 |url-status=dead}} St Lawrence qualified for the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres in both instances. He has also qualified for two World Championships, two World Cross Country Championships and two Commonwealth Games.{{cite web |url=http://athhistory.imgstg.com/athletes/athlete3551.htm |title=Ben St Lawrence |website=athhistory.imgstg.com |publisher=Australian Athletics Historical Results |access-date=21 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218055752/http://athhistory.imgstg.com/athletes/athlete3551.htm |archive-date=18 February 2014 |url-status=usurped}}
Competition
St Lawrence's debut at an international athletics competition was at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships where he competed in the senior men's race; finishing 126th in at time 39{{nbsp}}minutes and two{{nbsp}}seconds.{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/36th-iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-3889/results/men/senior-race/final/result |title=Results - 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships - Senior Race - men |publisher=IAAF |access-date=21 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625013749/http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/36th-iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-3889/results/men/senior-race/final/result |archive-date=25 June 2016 |url-status=live}} He then competed in the 2010 Notturna di Milano 3,000 meter race, placing 7th with 7 minutes and 42 seconds.{{Cite news |date=10 Sep 2010 |title=Track and Field - Notturna di Milano |language=en |pages=A9 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/654045036 |url-access=subscription |access-date=12 Jun 2023}} Later in the year, he competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and finished 7th in both the 5,000{{nbsp}}metres and the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres.
At the 2011 World Championships St Lawrence competed in the 5000{{nbsp}}metres and finished 11th in his heat and therefore did not progress to the final. Also in 2011 was the World Cross Country Championships where St Lawrence finished 60th, 66 places better than his previous World Cross Country Championships.
For the 2012 Summer Olympics, St Lawrence qualified for the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres on the first day of the qualification window. At the Olympics, he finished 20th in his race. St Lawrence's next major competition was the 2013 World Championships where he competed in both the 5,000{{nbsp}}metres and the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres. In the 5,000{{nbsp}}metres he finished 18th in his heat and didn't progress to the final and in the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres he reached the final before withdrawing.
He competed in his 2nd Commonwealth Games in the 2014 edition. He reached the final of the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres and finished 16th. St Lawrence qualified for the 10,000{{nbsp}}metres for the 2016 Summer Olympics in May 2015 at the athletics track in Palo Alto, California; the same track on which he qualified for the 2012 Olympics.
Domestically, St Lawrence has won six Australian titles; five at the track and field championships and one at the road running-championships. At the most recent track and field championships in 2016 St Lawrence finished 3rd in the 5,000 metres.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Footer Australia NC 5000 m Men}}
{{Australian Athletes at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics}}
{{Australian athletes at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 3000 m men}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:St Lawrence, Ben}}
Category:Australian male long-distance runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Australia
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Australia
Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales
Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners