František Marek

František Marek was a prominent figure in Czechoslovak sport, an excellent athlete, and a scout leader who worked closely with the YMCA. Marek represented Czechoslovakia at the 1920 Antwerpen Olympics where he ran in the 400 metres hurdles. The same year he became the first Czechoslovak athlete to run the race in under one minute with a time of 59.8 seconds.

In 1932 Marek was one of the founding members of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) where he contributed to the development of basketball in Bohemia. In addition to basketball he was also one of the initiators of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). In the sport of athletics he was a pioneer of track and field in Czechoslovakia, writing one of the first handbooks in the country. Marek went on to lecture in athletics at universities in Genève, Switzerland, and in København, Denmark.

Marek worked as a director of the YMCA in Praha and was sent to study in the United States where he received a professorship at the University of Chicago. Back in Praha he also graduated as a professor of physical education. Marek was the author of multiple articles for the Star magazine about the techniques used in both athletics and swimming, including introducing new methods from the United States and Japan. He devoted most of his time to basketball and helped to introduce the relatively new sport to the Czechoslovak public.

Personal Bests: 110H – unknown; 400H – 59.8 (1920).