Joe Gray Wins Silver at XTERRA World Champs

SCOTT athlete Joe Gray won the Silver medal at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship on Sunday. The twenty-one kilometer, half-marathon championship course at Kualoa Ranch Oahu both challenged and rewarded competitors with its rugged terrain and beautiful scenery.

Joe Gray at Xterra 2012

Having tied for the win last year, Gray was certainly one of the favorites going into the weekend’s championship race. He was also coming off a trail running season full of strong results including wins at both USATF National Mountain Running Championships and NACAC Mountain Running Championships.

Photo: XTERRA Images

Gray got off to a good start and soon found himself in a three-man battle for the lead with Patrick Smyth and Max King. Smyth played to his strengths on the climbs and flats, but couldn’t quite shake the chasing Gray and King. The pursuers in turn became the aggressors when the terrain turned technical. Both Gray and King were able to outpace and pass Smyth on the course’s tricky descents making for an exciting race with a number of lead changes.

Xterra World Trail Running Champs 2013 Podium

In the end, though, Gray had to settle for the Silver medal as Smyth just proved too strong on the day, and King held on for the third step of the podium.

Joe’s 2013 run results include:

• 1^st place USATF National 50K Road Running Champs
• 1^st place USATF National Mountain Running Champs
• 1^st place NACAC Mountain Running Champs
• 7^th Place World Mountain Running Champs
• 1^st Place USATF National Trail Running Champs
• 2^nd Place Xterra National Trail Running Champs
• 2^nd place Xterra World Trail Running Champs

With the Trail Running season complete, Joe will next be setting his sights on the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships December 14th in Bend, Oregon.