Pete McArdle, a member of the 1964 United States Olympic marathon team and a familiar competitor in New York-area distance and cross-country races, collapsed and died Monday night during a cross-country practice run at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. He was 56 years old.
Born in Ireland, Mr. McArdle came to the United States in 1956. He became a United States citizen in 1962 and worked as a mechanic for a New York bus company. He competed for the New York Athletic Club in the 1960's, establishing himself as one of the nation's top distance runners.
He finished 20th in the marathon in the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. In the 1963 Pan American Games at Sao Paulo, Brazil, he won the 10,000 meters and finished third in the marathon.