Name Jim Grelle | ||
Born September 30, 1936 Portland, Oregon | ||
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James Edward Grelle (born September 30, 1936 in Portland, Oregon) is a retired American track and field athlete, known for running the mile. He was an Olympian in 1960 (finishing eighth in the final) and the Pan American Games champion in the 1500 metres in 1963. He had also won the silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games.
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.
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. Leading up to the 1960 Olympics, he won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He also added two Indoor Championships in 1965 and 1966.
In 1962 at the Mt. SAC Relays he became just the 4th American 4 minute miler. 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. The prodigious high schooler Ryun relegated Grelle to a non-qualifying 4th place in the 1964 Olympic Trials. Previously in 1963 he held the American record in the 2 mile run at 8:25.2.
He was elected to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1994 he was elected to the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame. In 1981 he was selected to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.