Joie Ray (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Joie W. Ray was an American
track and field
athlete and member of the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame
. He held world records for the 1 miles (1.6 km) and 2 miles (3.2 km) distances. He represented the United States in the three Olympic Games
held the 1920s, earning a bronze medal for the 3000 m team race
in 1924.
, Illinois
, on April 13, 1894. Early in his career, the 5 in 5 in (1.65 m) and 118 pounds (53.5 kg) runner—considered short and stocky—competed for the Illinois Athletic Club. Ray was nicknamed "The Kankakee Kid", after his hometown, and "Chesty" or "Chesty Joie" after a newspaper, early in his career, called him "a chesty little guy with a great heart". Ray was considered one of the most versatile distance runners of the 1920s, competing in races from the 1500 metres
to marathon
s. Among his 13 national AAU
titles were 8 outdoor mile titles. Ray won the Millrose Games
' Wannamaker 1½-mile (2400 m) race (which changed to the Wanamaker Mile
in 1926) seven times in the eight-year span from 1917 to 1924, losing in 1925 to Paavo Nurmi
of Finland
. Later that same year he tied the indoor mile world record at 4 minutes 12 seconds, and was part of a 4 × 1-mile (4 × 1.6 km) relay that set a world record.
Ray competed for the United States in the 1920 Summer Olympics
at Antwerp, placing 8th in the 1500 metre race. In the 1924 Games
in Paris
, Ray competed in only the 3000 metre team race
for which he won a bronze medal. In the 1928 Olympics
he placed 14th in the 10000 metres
and 5th in the marathon
. Though Ray's Olympic results were lackluster, he won over 950 medals in his career. His favorite career moment was his first Boston Marathon
in 1928. He finished third despite considerable pain for the last two miles (3.2 km).
In the 1920s, when not competing in running events, Ray was a cab driver, and also competed in other events, dabbling in boxing
, roller derby
, and snowshoe
races in Canada
. He preceded his third-place finish in the 1928 Boston Marathon by competing in a dance marathon
for 1,730 hours. Later in life, Ray worked in a steel mill in Gary
, Indiana
, moving to Michigan
after retiring.
Ray continued to run throughout his life. At age 68, he was timed at 6:18.3 on a 1 miles (1,609.3 m) course, a time he bettered on his 70th birthday, with a time of 6:11.5. Ray was elected to the U.S. National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976. Ray died on 13 May 1978 in Berrien Springs
, Michigan, after a short illness.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete and member of the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...
. He held world records for the 1 miles (1.6 km) and 2 miles (3.2 km) distances. He represented the United States in the three Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
held the 1920s, earning a bronze medal for the 3000 m team race
Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's 3000 metre team race
The men's 3000 metres team event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. It was the third and last appearance of a 3000 metre team race event after the debut in 1912, but the sixth time that a team contest was arranged at the Olympics...
in 1924.
Biography
Ray was born in KankakeeKankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, on April 13, 1894. Early in his career, the 5 in 5 in (1.65 m) and 118 pounds (53.5 kg) runner—considered short and stocky—competed for the Illinois Athletic Club. Ray was nicknamed "The Kankakee Kid", after his hometown, and "Chesty" or "Chesty Joie" after a newspaper, early in his career, called him "a chesty little guy with a great heart". Ray was considered one of the most versatile distance runners of the 1920s, competing in races from the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
to marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s. Among his 13 national AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
titles were 8 outdoor mile titles. Ray won the Millrose Games
Millrose Games
The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet held on the first Friday in February in New York City. They will be held at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011...
' Wannamaker 1½-mile (2400 m) race (which changed to the Wanamaker Mile
Wanamaker Mile
The Wanamaker Mile is an event held annually at the Millrose Games in New York City's Madison Square Garden.The event is an indoor one-mile race. It was first held in 1908, and in 1926 became known as the "Wanamaker." It is named in honor of the head of the Wanamaker's Department Store in New...
in 1926) seven times in the eight-year span from 1917 to 1924, losing in 1925 to Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Johannes Nurmi was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns," a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola, and others for their distinction in running...
of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Later that same year he tied the indoor mile world record at 4 minutes 12 seconds, and was part of a 4 × 1-mile (4 × 1.6 km) relay that set a world record.
Ray competed for the United States in the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
at Antwerp, placing 8th in the 1500 metre race. In the 1924 Games
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Ray competed in only the 3000 metre team race
Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's 3000 metre team race
The men's 3000 metres team event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. It was the third and last appearance of a 3000 metre team race event after the debut in 1912, but the sixth time that a team contest was arranged at the Olympics...
for which he won a bronze medal. In the 1928 Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
he placed 14th in the 10000 metres
Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics - Men's 10000 metres
The men's 10,000 metres event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1928 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Sunday, July 29, 1928.Twenty-four long-distance runners from twelve nations competed.-Medalists:-Records:...
and 5th in the marathon
Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon
Men's Marathon event at the 1928 Summer Olympics took place in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Sunday, August 5, 1928. The race started on 15.14h local time. A total number of 57 athletes completed the race, with Willem van der Steen from Holland finishing in last position in 3:29:21. There were 69...
. Though Ray's Olympic results were lackluster, he won over 950 medals in his career. His favorite career moment was his first Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 1928. He finished third despite considerable pain for the last two miles (3.2 km).
In the 1920s, when not competing in running events, Ray was a cab driver, and also competed in other events, dabbling in boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
, and snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
races in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He preceded his third-place finish in the 1928 Boston Marathon by competing in a dance marathon
Dance marathon
A dance marathon is an event in which people stay on their feet for a given length of time. It started as a popular fad in the 1920s and 1930s, when organized dance endurance contests attracted people to compete to achieve fame or win monetary prizes...
for 1,730 hours. Later in life, Ray worked in a steel mill in Gary
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, moving to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
after retiring.
Ray continued to run throughout his life. At age 68, he was timed at 6:18.3 on a 1 miles (1,609.3 m) course, a time he bettered on his 70th birthday, with a time of 6:11.5. Ray was elected to the U.S. National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976. Ray died on 13 May 1978 in Berrien Springs
Berrien Springs, Michigan
Berrien Springs is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,862 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Oronoko Charter Township. Berrien Springs is best known for its Seventh-day Adventist community and Andrews University...
, Michigan, after a short illness.