Liquori Has Leukemia, but Prognosis Is Good

Marty Liquori ran a mile in 4 minutes 49 seconds last year, much faster than he expected. He jogs almost every day, plays roller hockey twice a week and kayaks.

Not bad for someone who has had leukemia for at least two years.

One of America’s top distance runners over the last 25 years revealed Wednesday that he had a mild form of the disease and said, “My prognosis is so good that I have every reason to believe that I’m going to live a long and productive life.�

Liquori, 45, has experienced no symptoms of the illness, such as fever, fatigue or night sweats, and has required no treatment, said his physician, David Pawliger.

Liquori said the biggest change the condition has caused is that “I have a checkup and blood test every three months instead of once a year.�

Liquori, the youngest Olympian to compete in the 1,500-meter finals when he ran at Mexico City in 1968, said he planned to disclose his condition at the New York City Marathon next month. He changed the timetable when rumors circulated that he was seriously ill with a poor prognosis. “This condition hasn’t slowed me down one bit,� Liquori said.