Marty Liquori
Encyclopedia
Martin Liquori (born 11 September 1949) is an American
middle distance
athlete.
Liquori first rose to fame when he became the third American high schooler to break the four-minute mile
by running a 3:59.8 in 1967, three years after Jim Ryun
first did it.
He grew up in Cedar Grove, New Jersey
and attended Essex Catholic High School
. After high school, Liquori enrolled at Villanova University
. There he was coached by the legendary Jumbo Elliott.
Liquori made the U.S. Olympic
team in 1968 as a nineteen-year-old freshman. He reached the finals of the 1,500 meter run but suffered a stress fracture and finished 12th. He was the youngest person ever to compete in the final.
In 1969, he finished second to Ryun in the NCAA indoor mile then won the NCAA
and AAU
outdoor mile championships by turning the tables on Ryun and beating him. He repeated the AAU outdoor in 1970 and had his best year in 1971, winning the NCAA and AAU outdoor titles, and a gold medal
in the 1,500 m at the Pan-American Games. In 1969 and 1971 he was ranked number 1 in the world for 1500 meters/mile. In 1977 he was ranked number 1 in 5000 meters and set a US record of 13:15.1 while finishing second to Miruts Yifter in the inaugural World Cup.
On May 16, 1971, Liquori lowered his personal best to 3:54.6 in the Dream Mile
in Philadelphia and beat Ryun by a few steps.
But Liquori was injured later that year. He didn't return to competition until 1973. In 1975 he ran a personal best 3:52.2 in the mile, finishing second to Filbert Bayi
(who broke Ryun's world record in that race by 0.1 second with a 3:51.0), and set a United States record of 8:17.12 in the 2 mile. Liquori retired from competitive distance running in 1980.
He has written an autobiography, On The Run , "Guide to the Elite Runner" and "Home Gym Workout". He was a founder of The Athlete Attic Footwear chain in 1971.
Liquori lives in Gainesville, Florida
. He does commentary for NBC at the Olympics and at various track and triathlon
events around the country. Liquori was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(CLL), which is now in remission. He picked up the guitar after a 35-year hiatus and is currently a professional jazz guitarist and now performs Monday and Thursday nights with various ensembles at Leonardo's 706, a Gainesville restaurant.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
middle distance
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
athlete.
Liquori first rose to fame when he became the third American high schooler to break the four-minute mile
Four-minute mile
In the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The 'four minute barrier' has since been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all male professional...
by running a 3:59.8 in 1967, three years after Jim Ryun
Jim Ryun
James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...
first did it.
He grew up in Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
-Climate:Cedar Grove has a humid subtropical climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer than in New York City because there is no urban heat island effect....
and attended Essex Catholic High School
Essex Catholic High School
Essex Catholic High School was a four-year Catholic high school located in Newark and East Orange, New Jersey. Essex Catholic High School opened in 1957...
. After high school, Liquori enrolled at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. There he was coached by the legendary Jumbo Elliott.
Liquori made the U.S. Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
team in 1968 as a nineteen-year-old freshman. He reached the finals of the 1,500 meter run but suffered a stress fracture and finished 12th. He was the youngest person ever to compete in the final.
In 1969, he finished second to Ryun in the NCAA indoor mile then won the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
outdoor mile championships by turning the tables on Ryun and beating him. He repeated the AAU outdoor in 1970 and had his best year in 1971, winning the NCAA and AAU outdoor titles, and a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 1,500 m at the Pan-American Games. In 1969 and 1971 he was ranked number 1 in the world for 1500 meters/mile. In 1977 he was ranked number 1 in 5000 meters and set a US record of 13:15.1 while finishing second to Miruts Yifter in the inaugural World Cup.
On May 16, 1971, Liquori lowered his personal best to 3:54.6 in the Dream Mile
Dream Mile
The Dream Mile was a match race between Jim Ryun and Marty Liquori on May 16, 1971. The event took place at the Martin Luther King International Freedom Games at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in Philadelphia and beat Ryun by a few steps.
But Liquori was injured later that year. He didn't return to competition until 1973. In 1975 he ran a personal best 3:52.2 in the mile, finishing second to Filbert Bayi
Filbert Bayi
Filbert Bayi is a former Tanzanian middle-distance runner of the 1970s who set the world records for 1500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975...
(who broke Ryun's world record in that race by 0.1 second with a 3:51.0), and set a United States record of 8:17.12 in the 2 mile. Liquori retired from competitive distance running in 1980.
He has written an autobiography, On The Run , "Guide to the Elite Runner" and "Home Gym Workout". He was a founder of The Athlete Attic Footwear chain in 1971.
Liquori lives in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. He does commentary for NBC at the Olympics and at various track and triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
events around the country. Liquori was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia , also known as chronic lymphoid leukemia , is the most common type of leukemia. Leukemias are cancers of the white blood cells . CLL affects B cell lymphocytes. B cells originate in the bone marrow, develop in the lymph nodes, and normally fight infection by...
(CLL), which is now in remission. He picked up the guitar after a 35-year hiatus and is currently a professional jazz guitarist and now performs Monday and Thursday nights with various ensembles at Leonardo's 706, a Gainesville restaurant.