Johnny Gray to Run 1,000 in San Diego Meet

American indoor and outdoor 800-meter record holder Johnny Gray of the Santa Monica Track Club is scheduled to run in the 1,000-yard run at the 21st annual Michelob Invitational track meet Sunday afternoon, Feb. 22, at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The 6-4 Gray has set world bests in his last two outings in the Michelob meet. In 1985 Gray lowered the 880-yard mark to 1:46.9, then last season he established a new record in the 1000-yard run with a 2:04.39 effort which still stands atop the best undercover marks.

Gray, who is the fourth fastest 800-meter runner ever at 1:42.60, had the second best time in the world last year, 1:43.46. Only great Britain’s Steve Cram (1:43.19) had a better time in 1986. Gray was ranked third in the world last season by Track and Field News.

Gray pinpoints Michelob as his most important meet of the indoor campaign and the 1000-yard world mark as the main target. He loves to run at the Sports Arena, considering its boards “the fastest in the world.”

Gray will be pushed to run a fast time by a select group of opponents. Competing will be William Wuyke of Venezuela, ranked 5th in the world last year in the 800 (1:43.54), winner of several Grand Prix races in Europe; Jose-Luis Barbosa of Brazil, the sixth ranked 800-meet runner in the world last year; and David Mack, Gray’s teammate at Santa Monica TC, who was 3rd in the U.S. rankings last season and has a lifetime best of 1:43.35, 6th on the all-time list.