Legendary Australian runner Ron Clarke passed away on Wednesday at the age of 78 after battling a short illness.
The world champion runner set 17 world records in the 1950s and 1960s and bagged a bronze medal in the 10,000-metre event at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, the BBC reported.
Clarke, however, failed to win an Olympic gold despite an illustrious track career.
He subsequently tried his hands at politics as he became the Gold Coast mayor from 2004 to 2012.
Clarke, who earned the honour of igniting the Olympic flame during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, had been awarded the Order of Australia and honoured as a Member of the British Empire.
