Johnny Gregorek, one of the country’s best middle-distance runners, is now the holder of a unique world record.
On Saturday, May 30, Gregorek put on a pair of blue jeans and raced a mile in 4:06.25 around the track at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York. His effort was broadcast on Instagram Live, and more than 1,800 fans tuned in to watch.
The previous record for the Blue Jeans Mile, an informal event that began in 2017, was 4:11.80, held by Dillon Maggard.
Gregorek, 28, was racing to raise funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a nonprofit organization that has become important to him and his family after the death of Gregorek’s brother, Patrick, 21, last year. Patrick, who went by Paddy, had struggled for a long time with mental illness.
Patrick had a silly streak and loved comedy, and he would have enjoyed watching his brother try to go top speed in denim, Gregorek told Runner’s World before the race.
Gregorek initially set a goal of raising $2,500, but as word of his endeavor began to spread, donations poured in to his NAMI fundraising page. Shortly after the time trial ended, he had raised more than $31,000, which included a $5,000 donation from Levi Strauss & Co. Gregorek raced in Levi 501s, and he wore customized spikes from his sponsor, Asics. The spikes had laces made of denim, and they had “Paddy” stitched on the left shoe tongue and “NAMI” on the right.
During the race, Gregorek’s wife, Amy, and Kyle Merber, one of his teammates with the New Jersey-New York Track Club (NJNYTC), provided commentary on Instagram Live. Ryan Manahan, another teammate, paced Gregorek through the first two and a half laps while also wearing jeans.
Frank Gagliano, 83, a legendary track coach and head coach of NJNYTC, watched the mile from across the track, at the end of the first turn, maintaining social distance. But his deep voice could be heard on the live feed, encouraging his athlete on his final lap.
A winded Gregorek spoke after the race. “I want to thank my family, and most of all I want to thank my little brother Paddy, for inspiring me every day,” he said. “I love him and I miss him, and this is for him. This is for anyone else who is out there struggling with their mind at this time or any time. Know that you’re loved, and be kind to yourself.”
Gregorek’s parents, Christine and John—who were elite runners in the 1980s—surprised their son after the race. He didn’t know they were traveling from Seekonk, Massachusetts, to watch his mile.
Many top U.S. distance runners were watching and commenting on the Instagram feed, including Matthew Centrowitz, Ben Blankenship, Molly Huddle, and Emily Sisson. Earlier in the day, Emma Ulmer, also an Asics-sponsored runner, ran a 10K in jean shorts in 32:45 in Boise, Idaho, to help draw attention to Gregorek’s race later.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
