How They Train: Joe Gray
Joe (Joseph) Gray is arguably the best mountain runner in the United States and is among the top mountain runners in the world. In 2016, Gray won the World Mountain Running Championships. In the years since 2010, Gray has won several US Mountain Running championships, several USA Trail Half Marathon championships, and he has won a 30K and a 50K USA Trail Running championship.
Gray is a two-time winner of the Pikes Peak Ascent (and I know how hard that event is because I’ve participated in it twice), and he owns the FKT (Fastest Known Time) for running the Manitou Incline, which he ran in 17 minutes and 45 seconds. The Manitou Incline is a hiking trail in Manitou Springs, Colorado which gains 2,011 feet of elevation in 0.88 miles. It has an average grade of 45% and its steepest grade is 68%.
Gray is notable for being one of the few African-American mountain runners and racers. In recent years, Gray has worked hard to improve the diversity of the trail and mountain running community in his home state of Colorado by creating a program titled Project Inspire Diversity, which works to motivate and inspire young minority distance runners. Gray has big plans for this organization: “I am planning to grow Project Inspire Diversity with school programs, introductory trail running clinics, and training camps — perhaps similar to how Big City Mountaineers has helped get a diverse range…
