Jim Grelle

{{Short description|American middle-distance runner (1936–2020)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image = Jim Grelle 1966.jpg

| caption = Grelle in 1966

| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|09|30}}

| birth_place = Portland, Oregon, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|6|13|1936|9|30}}

| height = 183 cm

| weight = 68 kg

| sport = Athletics

| event = 800–5000 m

| pb = 800 m – 1:48.4 (1958)
1500 m – 3:38.9 (1964)
Mile – 3:55.4 (1965)
5000 m – 14:10.8 (1966)[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=2332&Gender=M Jim Grelle]. trackfield.brinkster.net

| club = Multnomah Athletic Club

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalGold| 1963 Sao Paulo | 1500 m}}

{{MedalSilver| 1959 Chicago | 1500 m}}

}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/jim-grelle-1.html |title=Jim Grelle |access-date=April 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216161959/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/jim-grelle-1.html |publisher=sports-reference.com|archive-date=December 16, 2012 }}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.runningmovies.com/lhsBio.html|title=Lincoln High School Track and Field Biographies and Trivia|website=www.runningmovies.com|access-date=October 29, 2017}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=248072 |title=Jim Grelle |access-date=April 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415215852/http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=248072 |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |publisher= University of Oregon Athletics}} Leading up to the 1960 Olympics, he won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/champions/USAOutdoorTF/men/m1500m.asp |title=USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions Men's 1,500 m|publisher=USA Track & Field

|access-date=August 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821094430/http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/USAOutdoorTF/men/m1500m.asp |archive-date=August 21, 2007 }} He also added two Indoor Championships in 1965 and 1966.[http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAIndoorTF/men/1500m.aspx USA Track & Field – USA Indoor Track & Field Champions]. Usatf.org. Retrieved on June 15, 2018.

In 1962 at the Mt. SAC Relays Grelle became the 4th American sub-4 minute miler.{{cite web |url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/archive/U.S.%20Sub-4s.pdf |title=The U.S. Sub-4:00 Club: A Chronological Listing of U.S. Milers Who Have Broken The Big Barrier|date=February 15, 2010|work = Track and Field News|access-date=May 10, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307063841/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/archive/U.S.%20Sub-4s.pdf |archive-date=March 7, 2010 }} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oregonstars.com/TypeClientDetail.php?Type=Biography&ObjId=1696|title = Untitled Document}}

Grelle was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 1991,{{cite web|url=http://www.mtsacrelays.com/archives/HallFame/Grelle.htm|title=Jim Grelle|website=www.mtsacrelays.com|access-date=October 29, 2017}} and to the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame in 1994.

Grelle died on June 13, 2020, at the age of 83.{{cite news |title=University of Oregon running great, 1960 Olympian Jim Grelle dies Saturday at 83 |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/2020/06/university-of-oregon-running-great-1960-olympian-jim-grelle-dies-saturday-at-83.html |access-date=15 June 2020 |work=oregonlive.com |date=15 June 2020}}