TACOMA, Wash. _ For all that Joseph Gray has accomplished while running, there is one achievement that has extra meaning.
Gray, the 32-year-old distance running star from Lakewood, is the first African American to win the U.S. mountain running championship, make the world championship team and win a world title.
"It's more meaningful because it's history and I hope to inspire the next generation of African-American kids to give distance running a try," Gray said.
On Sept. 11, Gray added another highlight to his career. Racing in Bulgaria, he became just the third American man to win the mountain running world championship. The title also earned him USA Track and Field's Athlete of the Week honors.
What is mountain running? Here's how Gray, a member of the last nine U.S. world championship teams, explains the sport: "The trails people typically hike, we are racing those to see who can get up the mountain the fastest."
Routes are often steep, sometimes technical and usually at elevation. No courses are the same. In the Bulgaria race, the course climbed about 5,000 feet over 7.8 miles.
It's a type of running Gray loves, but not the only type in which the former Lakes High and Oklahoma State University running star excels. Gray, who lives in Colorado with his wife (former Lakes classmate and Washington State University rower Christy Gray), made the Olympic trials in the marathon.
But it didn't go well because Gray was sick. He was still on antibiotics and knew going in to the race that he wasn't going to make the Olympic team. He finished in 2 hours, 31 minutes, 20 seconds, about 17 minutes slower than he would have expected to run.
"I pretty much just went through it for the experience," Gray said. "Usually, if I'm not going to compete I'm going to stay home. But because of the experience, I really wanted to do it."
As his season winds down, Gray took a few minutes to field a few questions about running.
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