Gordon McKenzie (athlete)

{{short description|American long-distance runner}}

Gordon Edmund McKenzie (June 26, 1927 – July 19, 2013) was an American athlete who competed in the 10,000 meters at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and the marathon at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.{{cite web |url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/events/2004/OlympicTrials-Marathon-Men/mediaInfo/MensMarathonMediaGuide_part2.pdf |title=2004 USA Olympic Team Trials: Men's Marathon Media Guide Supplement |author=USA Track & Field |year=2004 |publisher=USA Track & Field |location=Santa Barbara, California |pages=8, 11–12 |access-date=February 21, 2011 }} McKenzie, running 2:28:18, finished second to Paavo Kotila in the 1960 Boston Marathon, an Olympic trials race.{{cite web |url=http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/race-summaries/1956-1960.aspx |title=Boston Marathon History: 1956-1960 |author=Boston Athletic Association |author-link=Boston Athletic Association |year=2011 |work=www.baa.org |publisher=Boston Athletic Association |location=Boston |access-date=February 24, 2011 }} He finished fourth in the 1961 Boston Marathon, at 2:28:40.{{cite web |url=https://marathonview.net/race/95322 |title=Boston Marathon 1961 |website=marathonview.net |accessdate=April 17, 2025}}

McKenzie was also an AAU cross country champion (1954){{Cite web |url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/Championship/USA-Cross-Country-(winter-event)/Men.aspx |title=USA Cross Country Champions - Men |access-date=2019-12-22 |archive-date=2019-12-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219081532/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/Championship/USA-Cross-Country-(winter-event)/Men.aspx |url-status=dead }} who finished fourth in the 5000 meters at the 1955 Pan American Games and was a silver medalist in the marathon at the 1963 Pan American Games, where he ran 2:31:18. He finished 2nd and won U.S. track championship medals at 5000 meters in 1953, '54 and '55, and 3rd in 1956. At 10,000 meters, he finished 2nd in 1955 and 1958, 3rd in 1956. He ran for New York University (NYU) and the New York Pioneer Club.

Besides his 1960 Boston time (on an uncertified course), he had personal track bests of 4:12.9 in the indoor mile, set in 1954, 8:58.8 at 2 miles indoors and 14:02.9 at 3 miles in 1955, and 30:34.4 at 10,000 meters, set in 1956.

McKenzie was married to the former Christina Slemon, a British middle-distance runner who in 1958 became the first US AAU Champion in the 440 yards, and who, in 1953, had been part of a British world-record setting team in the 3×880 yard relay. Gordon McKenzie's career was as a civil engineer with the city of New York, after studying engineering at NYU.