page_title: Pat Clohessy
section_title: Middle Distance Career
hierarchical_section_title: Pat Clohessy / Middle Distance Career
caption_attribution_description: AIS Distance Running Coach Pat Clohessy with World Marathon Champion Robert de Castella in 1984
context_page_description: Patrick Andrew "Pat" Clohessy AM is an Australian runner and distance running coach.
context_section_description: Clohessy grew up in Muswellbrook, New South Wales and Tamworth, New South Wales due to his father Patrick being the postmaster with Postmaster-General's Department in these rural towns. He took up running when he joined the Muswellbrook Athletics Club in 1953. He had early success in winning the 1954 New South Wales Country Championships 880 yards and one mile events in record time. He then moved to Sydney to run for Randwick Botany Athletics Club. Clohessy then moved to the United States to study and lecture at the University of Houston. He encouraged Australian middle distance runner Allan Lawrence to study at the University of Houston. Lawrence went on to win the 5000m at 1960 NCAA Championship.
  Notable performances by Clohessy as an athlete included:
  Won the 3 Miles NCAA Championship whilst at the University of Houston in 1961 (Philadelphia in  13:47.7) and 1962 (Eugene in 13:51.6 )  
  Won the Amateur Athletic Union 3 miles in 1963.
  7th in the 3 Miles at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 
  3rd World Games in Helsinki in 1963.
caption: AIS Distance Running Coach Pat Clohessy (right) with World Champion marathoner Robert De Castella in 1984
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