Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
5000 metres: 1992 - 3rd (U20), 1996 - 14th, 1997 - 3rd (2nd Australian), 1998 - 3rd, 1999 - 4th (2nd Australian)
10,000 metres: 1997 - 2nd, 1998 - 1st, 1999 - 1st, 2002 - DNF, 2004 - 1st, 2007 - 3rd (1st Australian)
Half marathon: 1997 - 1st
Marathon: 2000 - 3rd, 2006 - 1st
Cross country: 1991 - 2nd (U20), 1992 - 1st (U20), 1997 - 2nd, 1998 - 2nd, 2000 - 1st, 2006 - 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games: 1998 – 5000m 6th (13:56:32), 10,000m 7th (29:34:23); 2002 - marathon 7th (2:16:44)
Olympic Games: 2000 - marathon 66th (2:29:32), 2004 - marathon 28th (2:18:46), 2008 – marathon 60th (2:27:17)
World Championships: 1999 - 5000m 12th heat (13:42.96), 2003 - marathon 17th (2:11:46)
World Cross Country Championships: 1996 - long course 66th, 1998 - long course 60th, 1999 - long course 41st, 2001 - long course 25th, 2004 - long course 21st
World Half Marathon Championships: 1997 - 58th (1:03:43)

MARATHON CAREER:
18/04/99 11th London Marathon (2:11:21)
30/04/00 5th Sydney Marathon (2:18:50)
1/10/00 66th Olympic Games, Sydney (2:29:32)
22/04/01 6th Rotterdam Marathon (2:10:04)
28/07/02 7th Commonwealth Games, Manchester (2:16:44)
2/03/03 7th Lake Biwa Marathon (2:09:49)
30/08/03 17th Paris Marathon (2:11:46)
18/04/04 7th London Marathon (2:09:59)
29/08/04 28th Olympic Games, Athens (2:18:46)
4/12/05 14th Fukuoka Marathon (2:29:13)
2/07/06 1st Gold Coast Marathon (2:14:13)
15/04/07 DNF Paris Marathon
30/09/07 6th Berlin Marathon (2:10:31)
24/08/08 60th Olympic Games, Beijing (2:27:17)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

10,000 metres:
1997 28:08.35
1998 28:04.64
1999 28:32.27
2002 28:03.01
2003 27:51.27
2004 28:32.43
2006 28:53.31
2008 29:18.50

Marathon:
1999 2:11:21
2000 2:18:50
2001 2:10:04
2002 2:16:44
2003 2:09:49
2004 2:09:59
2005 2:19:13
2006 2:14:13
2007 2:10:31
2008 2:27:17

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
3000 metres: 7:41.78 - Sydney, 20/02/99
5000 metres: 13:14.82 - Melbourne, 25/02/99
10,000 metres: 27:51.27 - Inglewood (NZL), 15/02/03
Half marathon: 1:01:00 - Tokyo (JPN), 15/01/99
Marathon: 2:09:49 - Lake Biwa (JPN), 2/03/03

Interesting Facts

The grandson of a former Australian boxing champion, Lee became involved in athletics at the age of 11. He accompanied his father’s weight loss program with training runs around the local neighbourhood. Lee runs T.E.A.M (Troop Events And Management) and one of its main projects, is the annual Ron Clarke Classic in Geelong.

Sporting Career

Lee broke onto the scene in his late teens and early twenties, placing in Under 20 distance and cross country races.

He made his international debut on the terrain at the 1996 World Cross Country Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, finishing 66th, and soon became a regular sight on the track in senior domestic competition. In 1997, Lee was the second Australian over the line in the 5000m Championships, second in the 10,000m Championships and the winner of the half marathon.

Lee represented Australia over 5000m and 10,000m at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, and 60th in the long course at the World Cross Country Championships in Marrakech, Morocco.

The following year, 1999, was a defining one. A 3000m personal best and a 33 year-old National 5000m record held by the great Ron Clarke fell to Lee in Melbourne. His third World Cross Country Championships followed (41st) as did a graduation to the marathon distance; the location of his first foray was London - an 11th place finish in the very respectable time of 2:11:21. Lee also competed at his first World Championships over 5000m, finishing 12th in his heat.

The marathon at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games beckoned but didn’t unfold as planned. Well-placed, Lee tore a stomach muscle soon after the halfway mark but persevered to finish 66th - an achievement heralded by distance running loyalists to this day.

A personal best came at the 2001 Rotterdam Marathon and it seemed that Lee was better adjusted to the longest distance. He finished 25th at the World Cross Country Championships. At his second Commonwealth Games, 2002 in Manchester, Lee contested the marathon and finished a terrific seventh of 24 finishers.

He ran a 10,000m PB in 2003, which remains, as does the marathon result produced in Lake Biwa, Japan (2:09:49). Seventeenth in the Paris Marathon closed the year.

National victory over 10,000m was a highlight of the Olympic year, along with 21st at the World Cross Country Championships and seventh place in the London Marathon. Lee did everything in Athens to bury the memories of Sydney and finished a credible 28th. Things were looking up, however, soon after he broke down with a stress fracture of the pelvis. Running 240km weeks had caught up to him.

Lee’s return to the marathon was Fukuoka in late 2005, though he was well off his best and missed selection for the Commonwealth Games. That hurt, however, a win on the Gold Coast - the 2006 National marathon crown - was some consolation.  He backed up a month later to win the Australian Cross Country title in Hobart and took the 10,000m Australian title after placing third behind two athletes from the USA at the  Zatopek Classic in December.

He entered 2007 with his trademark resolve but had to deal with the frustration of withdrawing from the Paris Marathon. That was forgotten with a stunning run in Berlin in Olympic A qualifying time less than a minute off his personal best.

At his 3rd Olympic Games, Lee finished the marathon in 60th (2:27:17). The marathon was the fastest ever at an Olympic Games with eventual winner, Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru, smashing nearly three minutes off the 28 year old Olympic record.