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 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

and

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

, respectively. 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 The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

he won the

NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship refers to one of three annual collegiate outdoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for athletes from institutions that make up ...

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 The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Olym ...

. He also added two Indoor Championships in 1965 and 1966. In 1962 at the

Mt. SAC Relays The Mt. SAC Relays are an annual track and field festival held primarily at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The Relays are held in mid-April each year since the first edition held on April 24-25, 1 ...

Grelle became the 4th American sub-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 James Ronald Ryun (born April 29, 1947) is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1 ...

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. Grelle was inducted into the

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...

in 1981, to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 1991, and to the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame in 1994. Grelle died on June 13, 2020 at the age of 83.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grelle, Jim 1936 births 2020 deaths American male middle-distance runners Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes Lincoln High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1959 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1963 Pan American Games Track and field athletes from Portland, Oregon American masters athletes University of Oregon alumni Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games