Mile – 4:04.2 (1966) 3000 m – 8:49.4 (1966) 5000 m – 13:46.4 (1970) 10000 m – 28:47.6 (1970) Mar – 2:11:36 (1970)[2][3]
Kenneth Clark Moore (December 1, 1943 – May 4, 2022) was an American Olympic road running athlete and journalist. He ran the marathon at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth at the latter.
Moore first ran the Olympic marathon at the 1968 Summer Games. He led early in the final,[5] but finished fourteenth after suffering from severe blisters.[7] It was still the best performance among American competitors.[5] He joined the U.S. Army later that year, but was permitted to continue racing. He set the record for best time among American runners at the Fukuoka Marathon in 1969 and 1970, finishing runner-up in the latter race. Upon completing his military service, he returned to the University of Oregon and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing in 1972.[9] He again participated in the marathon at the Summer Olympics that year. Although he tripped and fell one mile into the race, he recovered and narrowly failed to win a medal after finishing fourth.[4][9]
Later life
After retiring from competition, Moore became a journalist and screenwriter. He had a 25-year career covering athletics for Sports Illustrated. At the end of his career at Sports Illustrated, Moore took up the plight of former competitor Mamo Wolde, who was falsely imprisoned in Ethiopia. In his story, Moore championed Wolde's release from prison, a release that came months before Wolde's death.[4]
Moore published a book in 2007 about his former coach titled Bowerman and the Men of Oregon.[13] He was also the author of Best Efforts: World Class Runners and Races (Doubleday 1982).[4] He was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.[14] He was later honored in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.[15]
Personal life
Moore married his first wife, Roberta (Bobbie) Conlan, in 1968. She was photographed embracing him at the finish line of the Olympic marathon that same year. They divorced in 1979.[9] He subsequently married Connie Johnston Moore, and remained married to her until his death. They resided in Hawaii during his later years.[4][9]