At 5' 5" and 118 pounds, short, stocky Joie Ray was one of the most versatile distance runners of the 1920s, being able to run competitively at any distance from the one mile to the marathon. Nicknamed "Chesty," Ray won 13 National AAU titles during his career, including eight in the outdoor mile while representing the Illinois A.C. He was a member of three Olympic teams. He was eighth in the Olympic 1500m in 1920, took a bronze medal in the 3000m team race in 1924 and ran two events in 1928, placing 14th in the 10,000m and fifth in the marathon. Ray was a stellar runner indoors, winning the Millrose Games' featured Wanamaker 1 1/2 mile run seven times in eight years from 1917 through 1924 and setting world records in three of those races. He finally lost his Wanamaker 1 1/2 mile title in 1925 to the legendary Paavo Nurmi of Finland. That same year, Ray tied the world indoor mile record of 4:12.0. He also was a member of the 4x1-mile relay team that set a world record.
World Record: 1 mi. - 4:12.00
1920 Olympics: 1,500 m (8th) 1924 Olympics: 3,000 m (3rd) 1928 Olympics: 10,000 m (14th) 1928 Olympics: marathon (5th)
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