DENVER —
Ron Gray loves having a routine. He’s had one most of his life.
“I started running early as a young child in grammar school,” said Gray. “I went to CU. I was a sprinter there in the early 50s for four years.”
Gray is still running today at the age of 85 - a concept that has some people scratching their heads.
“That’s their problem, I know what I’m doing,” said Gray. “I love the competition and I love the fact that it keeps me in shape and keeps me healthy.”
He was recently crowned the USA Track and Field National Masters Champion in his age division - 80 to 89 - running the 100-meter dash in Spokane, Wash. Next month, he’ll represent Team USA at the World Master Athletics completion in Malaga, Spain.
“This is a big meet - there will be 8,500 participants from 92 countries,” said Gray.
He and his longtime coach, George Quijano, have been training for this daily at All City Stadium in Denver. On the day we meet him, he's doing a high-knee run, stretches and sprints.
“He never takes a day off. He’s never missed a workout,” said Quijano. “He’s going to do great - we’re really hoping to place to medal, but I think he’s going to do really well.”
Gray will compete against some of the best 80-something sprinters in the world - running the 100- and 200-meter dash - but he thinks he has an advantage.
“I work out at 5,000-feet and compete at 1,000-feet most of the time, so I have a little bit of an advantage,” said Gray. “My best time this year was 18.63 seconds. That sounds like a lot of seconds but don’t forget I’m 85-years-old.”
Gray plans to keep reaching for new milestones, regardless of his age.
“I want to keep doing this until I’m 100,” he said.
