Jim Grelle
American middle-distance runner (1936–2020)
Jim Grelle
Grelle in 1966
Born (1936-09-30 ) September 30, 1936Portland, Oregon , U.S.Died June 13, 2020(2020-06-13) (aged 83) Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) Weight 68 kg (150 lb) Sport Athletics Event 800–5000 m Club Multnomah Athletic Club Personal best(s) 800 m – 1:48.4 (1958) 1500 m – 3:38.9 (1964) Mile – 3:55.4 (1965) 5000 m – 14:10.8 (1966)[ 1] [ 2]
James Edward Grelle (September 30, 1936 – June 13, 2020) was an American middle-distance runner. He had his best achievements in the 1500 m event, finishing eighth at the 1960 Olympics , winning a gold and a silver medal at the Pan American Games in 1963 and 1959 , respectively.[ 1]
Grelle's first success was winning back to back Oregon state titles in the 880 yard run in 1954 and 1955 for Lincoln High School in Portland.[ 3]
While running for the University of Oregon he won the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship in 1959 after being a runner up the previous two years.[ 4] Leading up to the 1960 Olympics, he won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships .[ 5] He also added two Indoor Championships in 1965 and 1966.[ 6]
In 1962 at the Mt. SAC Relays Grelle became the 4th American sub-4 minute miler.[ 7] He won the Mile there three years in a row. In 1965 he briefly held the American record in the mile at 3:55.4. Nine days later, Jim Ryun improved upon the record. Ryun also relegated Grelle to a non-qualifying fourth place in the 1964 Olympic Trials . Previously in 1963 he held the American record in the 2 mile run at 8:25.2.[ 8]
Grelle was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981,[ 8] to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 1991,[ 9] and to the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame in 1994.[ 4]
Grelle died on June 13, 2020, at the age of 83.[ 10]
References
^ a b "Jim Grelle" . sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012 .
^ Jim Grelle . trackfield.brinkster.net
^ "Lincoln High School Track and Field Biographies and Trivia" . www.runningmovies.com . Retrieved October 29, 2017 .
^ a b "Jim Grelle" . University of Oregon Athletics. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012 .
^ "USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions Men's 1,500 m" . USA Track & Field. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007 .
^ USA Track & Field – USA Indoor Track & Field Champions . Usatf.org. Retrieved on June 15, 2018.
^ "The U.S. Sub-4:00 Club: A Chronological Listing of U.S. Milers Who Have Broken The Big Barrier" (PDF) . Track and Field News . February 15, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010 .
^ a b "Untitled Document" .
^ "Jim Grelle" . www.mtsacrelays.com . Retrieved October 29, 2017 .
^ "University of Oregon running great, 1960 Olympian Jim Grelle dies Saturday at 83" . oregonlive.com . June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020 .
External links
1876–78New York Athletic Club 1879–88NAAAA 1888–1979Amateur Athletic Union 1980–92The Athletics Congress 1993-onwardsUSA Track & Field Notes
Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
M: Denotes that the race was run over a mile rather than 1500 m
OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996 & 2000 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
1906–1979Amateur Athletic Union
1932 : Gene Venzke
1933 : Gene Venzke
1934 : Glenn Cunningham
1935 : Glenn Cunningham
1936 : Gene Venzke
1937 : Archie San Romani
1938 : Glenn Cunningham
1939 : Glenn Cunningham
1940 : Charles Fenske
1941 : Walter Mehl
1942 : Gil Dodds
1943 : Frank Dixon
1944 : Gil Dodds
1945 : James Rafferty
1946 : Leslie MacMitchell
1947 : Gil Dodds
1948 : Tom Quinn
1949 : Willem Slijkhuis (NED ) , Neil Pratt (3rd)
1950 : John Joe Barry (IRL ) , Fred Wilt (2nd)
1951 : Fred Wilt
1952 : Bill Mack
1953 : Fred Dwyer
1954 : Josy Barthel (LUX ) , Fred Wilt (2nd)
1955 : Wes Santee
1956 : Ron Delany (IRL ) , Fred Dwyer (3rd)
1957 : Ron Delany (IRL ) , Fred Dwyer (3rd)
1958 : Ron Delany (IRL ) , James Grelle (3rd)
1959 : Ron Delany (IRL ) , Pete Close (4th)
1960 : Phil Coleman
1961 : Jim Beatty
1962 : Jim Beatty
1963 : Jim Beatty
1964 : Ergas Leps (CAN ) , Vic Zwolak (2nd)
1965 : Jim Grelle
1966 : Jim Grelle
1967 : Sam Bair
1968 : Preston Davis
1969 : Henryk Szordykowski (POL ) , Marty Liquori (2nd)
1970 : Marty Liquori
1971 : Henryk Szordykowski (POL ) , John Mason (2nd)
1972 : Byron Dyce (JAM ) , Bruce Fischer (3rd)
1973 : Marty Liquori
1974 : John Walker (NZL ) , Michael Slack (2nd)
1975 : Filbert Bayi (TAN ) , Paul Cummings (2nd)
1976 : Filbert Bayi (TAN ) , Paul Cummings (2nd)
1977 : Filbert Bayi (TAN ) , Joseph Dubina (3rd)
1978 : Eamonn Coghlan (IRL ) , Steve Lacy (3rd)
1979 : Steve Scott
1980–1992The Athletics Congress
1980 : Craig Masback
1981 : Steve Scott
1982 : Jim Spivey
1983 : Eamonn Coghlan (IRL ) , Steve Scott (2nd)
1984 : Steve Scott
1985 : Sydney Maree
1986 : Marcus O'Sullivan (IRL ) , Marcus O'Sullivan (IRL ) , Mark Fricker (3rd), Kevin Johnson (3rd)
1987 : Eamonn Coghlan (IRL ) , Jim Spivey (3rd)
1988 : Marcus O'Sullivan (IRL ) , Brian Abshire (2nd)
1989 : Frank O'Mara (IRL ) , Jeff Atkinson (3rd)
1990 : Marcus O'Sullivan (IRL ) , Steve Scott
1991 : Noureddine Morceli (ALG ) , Eric Henry (3rd)
1992 : Noureddine Morceli (ALG ) , Jeff Atkinson (5th)
1993–presentUSA Track & Field Notes *Distances have varied as follows: Mile (1940–2002) and 1932, 2007 and odd numbered years since 2011, 1500 meters (1933–1939), (2003–6, 2008–2010) and even numbered years since 2010
Note: mile run until 1966
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