Background

Nicknamed “Spurt” by his friends, Mark began competing at the age of 7 in Melbourne. Early in his career he represented Australia at the World Youth Championships in 1999 and the World University Games in 2003; in between he won three Australian Under-20 titles in 2001, at 1500 meters, 3000 meters and 8K cross country.

A former member of the Geelong Deakin University Club, Mark now lives and trains in the United States but last year returned to his hometown to compete in the Commonwealth Games, where he won a dramatic bronze medal by just .05 seconds. Despite that success, and already ranking #3 on the all-time Australian 1500-meter list, he is hardly complacent. “Three thirty-three doesn’t cut it yet,” he told an interviewer before the Games. “I want to cut another three seconds off that. Until that happens, I’m just another guy trying to make a final.”