Lonnie Vernon "Lon" Spurrier (May 27, 1932 – June 23, 2015) was an American former middle-distance runner who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics[2] and set the world's record in the half-mile in 1955.

He was one of six children of John and Golda Spurrier, who migrated to the Central Valley of California during the Dust Bowl, eventually settling in the agricultural town of Delano, about a half-hour north of Bakersfield.

Track proved a natural fit, and by the end of the season he'd set the school record in the low hurdles, and finished 6th place in the CIF California State Meet in the 440, the third time he'd ever ran that distance.

On March 26, 1955, on the clay and cinder track at UC Berkeley's Edwards Stadium, Spurrier set the world's record in the half-mile with a time of 1:47.5.

His coach, Brutus Hamilton, felt that if he could run 1:50.5 at altitude in Mexico City, that Spurrier might be able to break 1:48 at sea level in Berkeley.