Brilliant Bulli runner Ryan Gregson left Australia yesterday to compete on the European Grand Prix circuit as well as at the World University Games in Serbia next month.Gregson, 19, who will concentrate on the mile and 1500m, is aiming to qualify and be selected to race in August's IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany."This is the big time now, I guess. It's what all the young, aspiring athletes dream of doing, going on the European circuit and being a special athlete," Gregson said."It hasn't really sunk in yet that I'm going to be away from home for three months but I'm really looking forward to the challenge."Gregson, the 2008 Illawarra Academy of Sport Tobin Family Award winner, will base himself in London with his manager Nic Bideau and fellow Australian athletes including Collis Birmingham, Nick Bromley and Jeff Riseley.His first race will be a mile run (1.6km) in the Czech Republic on June 17, followed by 1500m races in Italy on July 25, Norway on July 3, the World University Games in Serbia July 7-9, and Paris on July 17.In that time he hopes to qualify for the world championships."They're all big races and really strong fields and they'll be fast," Gregson said."Because I ran such a fast time at such a young age I've been given a chance to be in the big races because they want to give a young guy a chance so I'm really lucky."It's all around Europe and I'm going to see a bit of everything."While Gregson thinks he might have a pretty good chance of doing well at the World University Games, qualifying for the the world championships is his goal.He has to run under 3min36.2sec by July 19 and his best is 3:37.2 which, he says, is about 7m."I'll have about three or four chances over 1500. That's enough. If I can't do it in those, I'm never going to get it," he said.Gregson's coach Ian Hatfield believes the European experience will be a perfect springboard in his development as an elite 1500m runner."I believe he's in very good shape. He's come back from an injury last year. He's had a wonderful summer season and training has been first class," Hatfield said."He's getting fitter and stronger and I believe he will do very well overseas."