Who was Sydney Maree?

RFXCrunner wrote:

Wow, look at that... almost 2 pages of great discussion 4 years ago, then another half page of good posts today, and then it degenerates into mindless bickering inside 12 hours.

LOL

.... an observation of great clarity and truth that relects so many threads on so many boards !

Syndey Maree once edged me by 2 laps in an indoor 3k at Princeton in the 1980s...

sydney maree's wikipedia page is depressingly short. we should fix that. and put some pictures of him on the internet, i can't find a single one.

Is maree still an American citizen?

let me help you with Sydney Maree, He was brought into America by Bert Lancaster, he was the meet organizer for the Late Martin Luther king games that was held at frankiln field. Remember the dream mile with Jim Ryran, Marty Liquior, Kip keno. he was trained by the late great Jumbo Elliot , the famous coach at Villanova University.

Before he entered Villanova he had already run 3:57 for the mile. I believe he may have been a high schooler or just graduated.

I remember some great races between he and Doug Padilla at U.S. nationals in the 5000 1985-1988.

1985 Maree took the lead early and ran a fast steady pace but Padilla jumped him with 200 to go 13:16-13:17. Was the meet record for 20 years.

1987 slow race-Maree wins running a 2:58 last 1200. 59-60-59.

1988 Padilla beats him at the Olympic Trials on an ungodly hot day in slow 13:37. But Maree is the only American to make the final and places a solid 5th.

5th ave pic of Maree

I heard from a reliable source that he walked up cemetary hill at IC4A's one year.

It used to be 2 (sometimes 3) different Bislett Meetings in the past, I think that stopped when the Golden League meetings started. The last year I can remember theres were two meetings was 1985, when Maree ran 13,01,15 in the latter one. Aoita failed to break the WR in the first meeting, mostly due to a torential rain during the race. Then he came back a couple of weeks later and did beat Moorcroft's WR with a mere 1/100 of a second and after a tough battle with Maree.

Maree did actually also represent USA at the World Championships in Helsinki 1983, but didn't make it to the final.

are you kidding me wrote:

Jim Ryran

Good job

Pic of Maree racing thom Hunt at Penn relays(79) on the right.

above Rich Kimball pics on this page-

http://www.runningentertainment.com/Running%20Shots-4.htm

He became an American/USA Citizen by marrying a Villanova Teammate. In those days, the IAAF had a contamination rule that if you competed against someone who was banned then you could be banned.But, the American Runners all ignored that and banned together and ran in races against him and nothing was done to them as there were so many making a statement against ridiculously a Black African being banned for South Africa's Anti-Black Apartheid policies against him and others like him.

In the Summer of 93', I had the priviledge of hearing him speak to the oversees USA team I was coaching before we went over about having a positive attitude and not letting it upset or get to you even when things were annoying,including people trying to do so on purpose or things not going well. He said American's sweated the little stuff too much like complaining about the beds etc. unlike the Africans who took the attitude that things were fine even if they weren't.Using this mind set really put me in the zone and my team did great.

Ironically this International competition I coached in was the first one S. Africa was allowed to compete in following the ending of Apartheid and the lifting of the ban by the IOC and the IAAF etc.

Benedict wrote:

Isn't he the guy that was outkicked by St. Joe's Mike Glavin in the 1977 Big 5 Championship at Belmont Plateau?

He is. There is a great picture of the finish of this race hanging in Kevin Quinn's office at Saint Joe's. Every time I hear Sydney Maree mentioned, I think of this photo. It must have been an excellent race to watch.

that was just a missing spelling. don't take it someplace it doesn't need to go

Maree's annual Career stats with world placement:

1000M

2.19.5(31) LEICESTER 19JUL1981

2.20.78

2.19.2(30) COLOGNE 25AUG1985

1500M

3.42.0 1976

3.41.2(93) 1977

3.38.87(37) WESTWOOD 10JUN1978

3.38.2i (4) 1979

3.38.64(48) AUSTIN 7JUN1980

3.32.30(4) HAMBURG 12AUG1981

3.32.12(1) BRUSSELS 27AUG1982

3.31.24(2) COLOGNE 28AUG1983

3.37.02(47) LOS ANGELES 24JUN1984

3.37.8i(2) EAST RUTHERFORD 9FEB1985

3.29.77(3) COLOGNE 25AUG1985

3.32.56(4) COLOGNE 17AUG1986

3.33.28(6) HENGELO 19JUL1987

3.36.47(36) COLOGNE 21AUG1988

3.38.14i(6) 1989

3.37.31(42) BERN 29AUG1989

3.40.76 24JUN1990

MILE

3.57.9 STELLENBOSCH 15DEC1976

3.57.2 1977

3.59.2 STATE COLLEGE 5AUG1978

3.53.7(10) STELLENBOSCH 7MAY1979

3.55.9(17) PHILADELPHIA 8MAY1980

3.48.83(3) RIETI 9SEP1981

3.48.85(2) OSLO 26JUN1982

3.50.30(4) BERLIN 17AUG1983

3.52.40i(2) EAST RUTHERFORD 9FEB1985

3.50.34(6) BRUSSELS 30AUG1985

3.53.79i(2) JOHNSON CITY 17JAN1986

3.53.29(12) VILLANOVA 8JUN1986

3.58.11i(12) 1987

3.54.26(16) NICE 13JUL1987

3.52.85(14) ZURICH 17AUG1988

3.55.34i(2) EAST RUTHERFORD 10FEB1989

3.56.77i ALLSTON 28JAN1990

2000M

5.01.69(13) INGELHEIM 31AUG1982

4.54.20(3) RIETI 4SEP1985

5.02.43+(9) ZURICH 13AUG1986

4.57.79(9) PARIS 16JUL1987

5.04.3+(10) MALMO 8AUG1988

5.01.56(5) LAUSANNE 27JUN1989

3000M

7.43.0(8) BERKELEY 9JUN1979

7.43.42(3) MILAN 8JUL1981

7.33.37(2) LONDON 17JUL1982

7.41.18(9) OSLO 28JUN1983

7.44.54(7) LONDON 20JUL1985

7.38.26(2) ZURICH 13AUG1986

7.43.13(5) FORMIA 11JUL1987

7.38.79(1) MALMO 8AUG1988

7.40.67(7) COLOGNE 20AUG1989

7.45.90i(3) SEVILLE 27FEB1990

2 MILE

8.24.32(6) LONDON 14AUG1987

8.31.85(13) LONDON 15SEP1989

5000M

13.20.63(12) CHAMPAIGN 2JUN1979

13.38.3i(6) NEW YORK 6FEB1981

13.32.40(57) MILAN 7JUL1982

13.01.15(2) OSLO 27JUL1985

13.14.62(6) ROME 10SEP1986

13.15.07(9) OSLO 4JUL1987

13.15.85(5) HENGELO 14AUG1988

13.13.84(5) BRUSSELS 25AUG1989

13.41.06 26APR1990

13.49.0 1991

10,000M

28.21.46(64) KNOXVILLE 12APR1980

28.57.8 1986

and so it be said...

i am glad to be noted

track was a great life

the greater life is football

I made a huge mistake in picking track over football

now my son

moose theriot

is the starting fullback for ucla

i should have gone football

i am the only tailback in us history to run sub 357

think about it

Maree Sydney (USA) 09.09.1956

Magnificent September 1981

It seems unbeliveable to find that one of the greatest middle distance runners of 80's, able of running often and fast, is missing the medal from major championships. Sydney Maree, originally of South Africa, begun his running story in late 70's and was barely noticed 10th fastest miler in the 1979 World lists with his time of 3:53.7min. He attended Villanova University where he was twice NCAA champion in the 1500 meters (1980 & 1981) and once in the 5000 meters (1979). After the US boycott of Moscow Olympics in 1980, Sydney emerged in 1981, becoming the runner to beat, breaking one World record and more U.S. records at various distances from 1500m to 5000m in the following years. He also won U.S. 1500m title that year, earning him place in the USA team at the 1981 World Cup in Rome. In the company of classy runners such as Steve Ovett (world record holder), John Walker (1976 Olympic champion) and Mike Boit (African champion), Sydney finished 5th. Only four days later, on his 25th birthday, in Rieti, Maree showed that his capabilities are much higher when winning one mile race and beating 1500m World Record holder Steve Ovett in his personal best of 3:48.83min, recording third fastest time ever at one mile distance and also his first U.S. record. Three days later, on 12th September in Hamburg, Maree won at 1500m in a time of 3:32.30min, 4th fastest in the World in 1981. He closed the track season with another sub 3:50minute mile, winning in Aichach, on 16th September, in a time of 3:49.93min. Several days later at New York, Sydney won the inaugural Fifth Avenue Mile in phenomenal time of 3:47.52, which remained the course record for more decades after that. His time was only 0.2 seconds behind existing track WR of Sebastian Coe.

Short-lived 1500m WR in 1983

After the explosion in September of 1981, Sydney had fantastic 1982 season, excelling on 26th June in Oslo with great mile of 3:48.85min, just to finish second behind his compatriot, Steve Scott, who overtook his U.S. record with 3:48.53min. In July, Maree won in Stockholm over 1500m in a time of 3:32.89min, than in Cork at one mile in 3:49.42min, but once again was beaten by Scott, when finished at runner-up position over 1500m in Lausanne, in another fast time of 3:32.76min. On 17th July, Maree contested 3000m in London in legendary race, but was beaten by David Moorcroft who just failed to break Rono's world record. However, Sidney's second place, in a time of 7:33.37min, was 3rd fastest ever at that distance, only 1.27 seconds behind the existing World record mark. In August, he was narrowly beaten by Scott in Koblenz, but again recorded sub 3:50 minute time at mile, posting 3:49.75min. His finest moment of the season came two days later, on 27th August, when he won in Bruxelles at 1500m, in superfast 3:32.12min, recording the fastest time in 1982 and missing Ovett's world record by 0.76 seconds. Next year, Sydney tasted semi-final elimination at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki, but made comeback late in the season to break 1500m World record, when winning in Cologne on 28th August, in a time of 3:31.24min, shaving off 0.12 seconds from Ovett's record. Only one week later, Steve Ovett regained his 1500m World Record back and even worse for Maree, he was suffering from illness during 1984 and after winning the national 5000m title in May, he fell ill and had not qualified for the Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles.

1985 and beyond

After establishing himself as a real threat in early 80's, Sydney had his best season in 1985. On 27th July, in Oslo, he contested 5000m and run bravely to finish at second place behind Said Aouita's world record of 13:00.40min, clocking 3rd time ever of 13:01.15min. Maree again finished behind world record of Aouita in Berlin, on 23rd August, recording another runner-up finish, this time at 1500m, in a time of 3:32.90min. He exploded only two days later, winning at 1500m in Cologne, in 3rd fastest time ever of 3:29.77min, missing two-day old world record of Aouita by just 0.31 seconds. That was by no means the end of the season for Maree and after he won over one mile in Bruxelles on 30th August, he closed the season with some style recording another second place behind incredible Moroccan, when clocking 4:54.20min over 2000m in Rieti, this time «only» 5th result on the all-time lists. Sydney ran his fastest times in 1985, recording 3 U.S. records (1500m/2000m/5000m), but that was still not enough for Aouita. Similar situation was in 1986 when Maree finished second in Zurich behind Aouita's attempt to break Rono's 3000m world record. His fastest 1500m of the season, he ran in Cologne, winning in a time of 3:32.56min, and his best 5000m came at the IAAF Grand Prix Final in Rome, where he finished at third place (Aouita was the winner of course) in a time of 13:14.62min. At the end of 1986, Sydney was still 6th fastest human over 5000m and 4th at 1500m. Next year he started to show some signs of slowing down altough he was still ranked high at the World lists. At the world championship in Rome, Maree managed to finish the 5000m final at only 11th place. His only Olympic appearance came in 1988 and despite he had second fastest time at 5000m prior to the Oylmpic Games in Seoul, he couldn't follow the pace of Kenyan runner, John Ngugi, and finished the Olympic 5000m final at 5th place. Sydney's final representation occured at the 1989 World Indoor Championships where he finished unlucky 4th in the 1500m final after leading 90% of the race. That year, he was still 5th fastest in the World at 5000m, with a time of 13:13.84min.

did he have to do jail time in SA and where is he now?