Dave Clarke (runner)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

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| name = Dave Clarke

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|1|1|df=yes}}

| birth_place = London

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| country = {{GBR2}}
{{ENG}}

| sport = Athletics

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| club = Hercules Wimbledon Athletics Club

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{{Medal|Country| {{GBR2}} and {{ENG}} }}

{{Medal|Competition|World Road Relay Championships}}

{{ Medal | Silver | 1986 Hiroshima | Men's race}}

{{Medal|Comp|World Cross Country Championships}}

{{Medal|Silver|1982 Rome | Men's team}}

{{ Medal | Silver | 1987 Warsaw | Men's team}}

{{Medal|Silver|1989 Stavanger|Men's team}}

{{Medal|Bronze|1992 Boston|Men's team}}

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David Robert Clarke (born 1 January 1958) is a British former distance runner who competed over distances from the 1500 metres to the marathon. He represented Great Britain over 5000 metres at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics and the 1981 Summer Universiade.[http://todor66.com/athletics/world/1983/Men_5000m.html Men 5000m Athletics I World Championship 1983 Helsinki, Finland - Sunday 14.08 - Eamonn Coghlan, Ireland]. Todor66. Retrieved 2020-03-20.{{cite news |title=Final results |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/26/World-University-Games-At-Bucharest-Romania-July-26/9562364968000/ |accessdate=9 February 2020 |publisher=United Press International |date=26 July 1981}}

He made twelve appearances at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships from 1977 to 1995. Individually, his performance came at the 1983 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he placed seventh overall. Clarke was a three-time silver medallist at the competition (1982, 1987, 1989) and also won a team bronze in 1992, sharing the honours with Mike McLeod, Hugh Jones, Julian Goater, Steve Kenyon, Karl Harrison, Carl Thackery, Kevin Forster, Steve Binns, Tim Hutchings, Gary Staines, Richard Nerurkar, and Eamonn Martin, among others.

{{ Citation

|last=Magnusson

|first=Tomas

|date=March 24, 2007

|title=IAAF World Cross Country Championships - 12.0km CC Men - Roma Hippodromo della Campanelle Date: Sunday, March 21, 1982

|url=http://mypage.bluewin.ch/tomtytom/iccu/wxc_iaaf/wxc_SM1982S.html

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{{ Citation

|last=Magnusson

|first=Tomas

|date=September 8, 2007

|title=IAAF World Cross Country Championships - 12.0km CC Men - Warszawa Sluzewiec Date: Sunday, March 22, 1987

|url=http://mypage.bluewin.ch/tomtytom/iccu/wxc_iaaf/wxc_SM1987S.html

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{{ Citation

|last=Magnusson

|first=Tomas

|date=September 8, 2007

|title=IAAF World Cross Country Championships - 12.0km CC Men - Stavanger Scanvest Date: Sunday, March 19, 1989

|url=http://mypage.bluewin.ch/tomtytom/iccu/wxc_iaaf/wxc_SM1989S.html

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{{ Citation

|last=Magnusson

|first=Tomas

|date=September 8, 2007

|title=IAAF World Cross Country Championships - 12.5km CC Men - Boston White Stadium, Franklin Park Date: Saturday, March 21, 1992

|url=http://mypage.bluewin.ch/tomtytom/iccu/wxc_iaaf/wxc_SM1992S.html

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|accessdate=October 24, 2013

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Born in London, he attended Dulwich Prep London and then St Paul's School, London, where he took up running, as did his brothers Peter and Chris. Professionally, he worked as a labourer and hospital porter before becoming a history and physical education teacher.[https://www.highgateharriers.org.uk/hh_aa_interviews.php?i=72#i72 Dave Clarke (The Great Runner from Hercules Wimbledon)]. Highgate Harriers. Retrieved 2020-03-19.

He ranked in the top twenty in the world over 10,000 metres in the 1982 season.[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=8687&Gender=M Dave Clarke]. Track and Field Statistics. Retrieved 2020-03-19. He shares the British record in the ekiden marathon relay, alongside Carl Thackery, Jon Solly, Mark Scrutton, and Karl Harrison, with a silver medal-winning time of 1:59:14 hours set at the 1986 IAAF World Challenge Road Relay.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/uk/gbnatrec.htm United Kingdom National Records]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19.[https://www.arrs.run/HP_WChRy.htm IAAF World Road Relay Championships]. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2004-03-27). Retrieved 2020-03-19.

In national competition he won the 5000 m title at the 1981 UK Athletics Championships,[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/uk.htm UK Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19. and was runner-up in that event at the 1983 AAA Championships.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm AAA Championships (Men)]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19. He won the English Cross Country Championships three times (1982, 1987, 1988) and won the British Cross Country Championships in 1992. He was also twice runner-up at the British race and a four-time runner-up at the English Championships.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/xc.htm British Cross Country Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19. He won the British Universities Cross Country Championships in 1981.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/busao.htm British Universities Championships (Other)]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19. At sub-national level he won the 1984 title in the 3000 metres at the South of England Athletics Championships and the 5000 m inter-county race at the 1985 CAU Championships.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/seaa.htm South of England Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/cau.htm CAU Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19. On the professional circuit he won races including the

Cross di Volpiano, Amatrice-Configno, Foulée Suresnoise, 1989 Stockholm Marathon and the Cross de Nantes.[https://more.arrs.run/runner/3009/1/position/asc David Robert Clarke]. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 2020-03-19.

He continues to take part in the sport as a masters athlete, mostly in local parkruns, though he completed the 2016 London Marathon in 3:03:54 hours.[https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=278 Dave Clarke]. Power of 10. Retrieved 2020-03-19.