The running community awoke this morning to some shocking and saddening news. Professional runner Jonathan Grey, who competed for adidas and trained with Boulder Track Club in Colorado, lost his battle with depression. He was 29.
His brother, Matt Grey, shared the tragic news through his Facebook page with the following message:
From those humble beginnings he rose to 3X All-American status for the College of William & Mary. As a professional athlete Jon won the USATF Club National XC Championships in 2011 and ran his debut marathon at the US Olympic Trials in 2016. He boasted PR's of 27:59.88 for 10,000 meters, 1:02:25 for the half-marathon, and 2:20:08 for the marathon.
Depression is not a feeling of self-doubt after a poor race performance; depression is feeling devoid of any emotion after the best performance of your life. Living with a mental illness will never be easy, but it is much harder when you are doing it alone. Reach out to family, friends, or anyone who will listen if you are struggling with depression, substance abuse, or any other condition. Don't stop reaching out or talking about it until someone listens to you.
If you feel you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is a free, 24-hour hotline, at 1.800.273.TALK (8255).