Gray & Tessema To Compete On The Mountain & In The Mile

(Colorado Springs, CO) American Distance Project members Joseph Gray (Scott Sports) and Josef Tessema will compete this Saturday, July 25, at the U.S.A Mountain Championships in Bend, OR, and the Ryan Shay Mile, in Charlevoix, MI, respectively.

Gray, who is the two-time defending champion and five-time U.S. mountain runner of the year, will be looking for the win and his 18th U.S. national team spot, as the top six in the men’s race qualify to represent the U.S. at the World Mountain Running Championships to be held in Snowdonia, North Wales on September 19.

With a new title sponsor, Nike Trail Running, the U.S. championship offers $10,000 in prize money. The race also serves as the Collegiate Mountain Running Championship, increasing the total purse by $6,000. Earlier in June, Gray won the inaugural Collegiate Running Trail Championships in Indianapolis, IN.

Across the country in Michigan, Tessema will be competing in his first race in two years and his first for the American Distance Project after joining the group in May. Tessema, who has a mile best of 4:07, will be looking to break 4-minutes for the first time on the fast road mile course and his share of the $3,500 in prize money.