Johnny Gregorek Jr. (born December 7, 1991) is an American middle-distance runner.[1] He competed in the 2017 World Championships in the 1500, where he placed 10th in a time of 3:37.56. As of May 2020, Gregorek holds the world record for the fastest Blue Jean Mile, ran in a time of 4:06.25.[2]
 Johnny Gregorek | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 7, 1991 Seekonk, Massachusetts |
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) |
| Weight | 149 lb (68 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track |
| Event(s) | 1500 meters, Mile, 800 meters |
| College team | Columbia University, Oregon Ducks |
| Club | Asics/New Jersey-New York TC |
| Turned pro | 2015 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| World finals | 10th, London 2017 |
| Personal best | 1500m-3:35.00 1 Mile-3:49.98 |
Medal record | |
| Updated on 8/11/2019 | |
Running career
editGregorek was raised in Seekonk, Massachusetts,[3] where he helped Seekonk High School win the state cross country title.[4] He earned a degree from Columbia University in 2014,[5] then, taking advantage of an NCAA rule which allows athletes to transfer to another school for a fifth year of competition, joined the Oregon Ducks.[3]
Gregorek finished in 6th place at the 2016 US Olympic Trials.[6] In 2017, he qualified for the World Championships in London for 1500m, where he finished 10th, following his 3rd-place finish at the US Championships.[7] In 2019, he ran 3:49.98 for 1 mile at Boston University,[8] making his time second on the All-Time American Indoor Mile list.[9] He and his father share the record for the fastest father-son mile duo in world history.[10][11]
Personal Bests
edit| Surface | Event | Time | Date | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor track | 800m | 1:46.81 | June 11, 2021 | Coatesville, PA | |
| 1500m | 3:34.49 | July 25, 2021 | Azusa, CA | ||
| One mile | 3:52.94 | June 13, 2019 | Bislett Stadium | ||
| One Mile Road | 3:46.7 | July 23, 2022 | Cleveland, OH | Not Legal | |
| Indoor track | 1000m | 2:19.78 | January 26, 2019 | The Armory | |
| One mile | 3:49.98 | March 3, 2019 | Boston University | ||
| 3000m | 7:49.93 | January 28, 2017 | New York, NY |
Blue Jeans Mile
editOn May 30, 2020, Gregorek ran what is believed to be the fastest mile ever run by someone wearing blue jeans in 4 minutes and 6.25 seconds, beating the previous world record by five seconds. Gregorek ran the Blue Jean Mile wearing 100% cotton Levi's, while raising over $37,500 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). He ran the mile in memory of his younger brother Patrick, who died suddenly in March 2019 after struggling with mental health.[12]
Personal
editGregorek's father John Gregorek competed in steeplechase for the 1980 and 1984 Olympic teams.[3] His mother, Christine Mullen,[13] was an Olympic trials finalist[14] and competed in the 1980s for Athletics West in Eugene, Oregon.[3]
In January 2019, Gregorek married Amy Nunes.[15]
Notes
edit- ^ "Athlete Profile: John Gregorek". IAAF. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: BLUE JEAN MILE WORLD RECORD: JOHNNY GREGOREK RUNS 4:06.25 IN LEVI'S. YouTube.
- ^ a b c d Goe, Ken (February 3, 2015). "Transfer track star Johnny Gregorek is making himself at home in Eugene". Oregon Live. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "2015 Track & Field Roster". Go Ducks. University of Oregon Athletics. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "John Gregorek - Cross Country". Columbia University Athletics. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "TFRRS | 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Men 1500m Run Track & Field Meet Results". www.tfrrs.org. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "TFRRS | USATF Championships Men 1500m Run SR Track & Field Meet Results". www.tfrrs.org. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Yomif Kejelcha Blasts 3:47.01 Mile World Record, Gregorek Goes 3:49 - FloTrack". March 3, 2019.
- ^ "All-Time Lists - Mile History". Bring Back the Mile. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ Kopet, Adam (February 28, 2017). "Johnny Gregorek's Big Run in Boston Makes Him and His Father the Fastest Father-Son Duo in History". runnerspace.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ "Father-Son Sub-4 Combo Club - Mile History". Bring Back the Mile. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Johnny Gregorek Sets the Record for a Mile—Run in Blue Jeans". May 31, 2020.
- ^ "Proud Seekonk Grandpa and other local sports notes". The Sun Chronicle. September 28, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ Waldron, Jon (October 3, 2008). "Is it Time for Johnny Gregorek?". NNHS Track and Cross-Country. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
He is the son of Christine Gregorek, an Olympic Trials finalist and still owner of a share of the U.S. 4x800m record, and John, an Olympian in the steeplechase in 1984, and owner of a 3:51 mile PR and 8:18 steeple PR.
- ^ Hollobaugh, Jeff. "Late-Blooming Gregorek Breaks 3:50 Barrier". Track & Field News. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
