Background
Lawrence was born in the Sydney suburb of Punchbowl.
Lawrence was born in the Sydney suburb of Punchbowl.
University of Houston.
He was a bronze medal for Australia in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He also qualified for the 5,000 metre final, but did not compete due to a strained leg muscle. Two years later, he came to the University of Houston to run for the Cougars.
In 1960, he set a world indoor two-mile record with 8:46.
At the 1960 Olympic games in Rome, he placed fourth in the 5,000 metre heats, did not finish the 10,000 metres and placed a disappointing 54th in the marathon in 2:37. Lawrence returned to America where he became an American citizen in the early 1980s.
He formed the First Rate (at Lloyd's) Lawrence Running Club in Houston, which remains strong today.
He competed for Australia in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the 10,000 metres where he won the bronze medal, clocking 28:53. In 1959-1960, he captured consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association cross-country titles and followed each with an Amateur Athletic Union XC win. Six days later, he won the Amateur Athletic Union three-mile with another world record of 13:26.
