Steve Prefontaine Biography

(American Long-Distance Runner)

Birthday: January 25, 1951 (Aquarius)

Born In: Coos Bay, Oregon, United States

Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was a renowned American middle and long-distance runner. He participated in the 1972 ‘Summer Olympics,’ and at one point, held the American record in 7 different distance track events, from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters. Generally referred to as “Pre” by runners and fans, Prefontaine attended ‘Marshfield High School’ and performed well on the tracks, breaking 19 national high-school records and setting a national high-school record in the 2-mile race. He resolved to receive training from the renowned coach Bill Bowerman and enrolled at the ‘University of Oregon,’ although many top colleges across the US were keen to have him on their respective teams. He won four consecutive 3-mile titles and became the winner of three ‘Division I NCAA Cross Country’ championships. He missed a medal at the 1972 Olympics by a close margin. He was eyeing the 1976 ‘Montreal Olympics,’ but he unfortunately died in a car accident at gae 24. Known for his extremely aggressive "front-running" racing style, Prefontaine is still considered among the greatest runners America has produced in the game’s history. His career was said to have inspired the 1970s "running boom," to some extent.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Steve Roland Prefontaine

Died At Age: 24

Family:

father: Raymond Prefontaine

mother: Elfriede Prefontaine

siblings: Linda Prefontaine, Neta Prefontaine

Athletes American Men

Height: 5'9" (175 cm), 5'9" Males

Died on: May 30, 1975

place of death: Eugene, Oregon, United States

U.S. State: Oregon

Cause of Death: Road Incident

More Facts

education: University Of Oregon

  • 1

    What was Steve Prefontaine's running style known for?

    Steve Prefontaine was known for his aggressive front-running style, pushing the pace from the start and often leading wire-to-wire in his races.

  • 2

    What were some of Steve Prefontaine's notable accomplishments in track and field?

    Steve Prefontaine set numerous American records in various distance events and was a three-time NCAA champion. He also competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

  • 3

    How did Steve Prefontaine inspire other runners and the running community?

    Steve Prefontaine inspired many with his fearless racing tactics, dedication to training, and outspoken advocacy for the rights of amateur athletes, leaving a lasting impact on the running world.

  • 4

    What was the significance of Steve Prefontaine's involvement in the fight against Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) regulations?

    Steve Prefontaine was a vocal critic of the restrictive AAU regulations that limited athletes' opportunities and income, advocating for more rights and better conditions for amateur runners.

  • 5

    How did Steve Prefontaine's tragic death at a young age impact the running community?

    Steve Prefontaine's untimely death at the age of 24 in a car accident cut short a promising career and left a void in the running community, prompting reflection on his legacy and continued inspiration for future generations of runners.

Childhood & Early Life
He was born on January 25, 1951, in Coos Bay, Oregon, US, to Raymond Prefontaine and Elfriede. His father served in the ‘US Army’ during the Second World War. Thereafter, he worked as a welder and carpenter. His mother was a seamstress. He had two sisters, Neta and Linda.
He participated in various activities since childhood and was part of the football and basketball teams of his junior high school.
While in eighth grade, he spotted a few high school cross-country team members practicing and jogging around the football ground. Later that year, his physical education classes made him realize that he was performing well in long-distance races. Gradually, he developed an interest in cross-country running.
In 1965, he enrolled at the ‘Marshfield High School,’ where he was trained by coach Walt McClure Jr., as part of the school’s cross-country team. His personal best in his first year was 5:01 mile. By the end of the year, he had climbed up to the second spot from the seventh spot and was ranked 53rd in the ‘State Championship.’
He remained undefeated during his junior cross-country season, while winning the state title. The ‘Corvallis Invitational’ witnessed him setting a national record with a time of 8:41.5, while in his senior year. He remained undefeated that season, in 1-mile and 2-mile events, and became the winner of two state titles.
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Career
Around 40 colleges across the US wanted to recruit Prefontaine. They sent letters and made phone calls, while their coaches visited Prefontaine to acquire him for their respective teams. He finally decided get enrolled at the ‘University of Oregon’ to be trained by famous track and field coach Bill Bowerman, who had coached Walt McClure, Jr. during his tenure with the ‘University of Oregon.’
Bowerman co-founded ‘Blue Ribbon Sports,’ along with Phil Knight, on January 25, 1964, which on May 30, 1971, became ‘Nike, Inc.’
The track and field stadium ‘Hayward Field’ in Eugene, Oregon, witnessed fans of Prefontaine chanting “Pre! Pre! Pre!,” whenever he participated in any event at the stadium. T-shirts of his fans often displayed the words “LEGEND” or “GO PRE,” and at times, jokingly, “STOP PRE.”
With time, he garnered national prominence and graced the cover of the November issue of ‘Track and Field News’ in 1969 and the cover of the June issue of ‘Sports Illustrated’ in 1970.
Prefontaine turned his attention to the forthcoming 1972 ‘Summer Olympics,’ which was to be held in Munich, West Germany, and started to train himself.
He won four 5,000-meter titles in track, three times in a row. He also won the ‘Division I NCAA Cross Country Championship’ thrice. A ‘Pi Kappa Alpha’ fraternity member, Prefontaine emerged as the winner of four straight 3-mile/5000-meter titles in track.
Gradually, he earned repute for his extremely aggressive "front-running" style of racing. With his tremendous leg speed, Prefontaine recorded his career-best time for the mile (3:54.6), which was just 3.5 seconds behind the then-existing world record.
At the ‘Olympic Trials’ in Eugene, on July 9, 1972, he set the American record in the 5000-meter event.
In the finals of the men's 5000-meter event at the 1972 ‘Summer Olympics,’ held in September, Prefontaine took the lead during the last mile. However, he finally fell behind Lasse Virén of Finland, Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia, and Ian Stewart of Britain. Steve ended up at the fourth place.
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He did not lose a single collegiate (NCAA) race during his four years at Oregon, be it a 3-mile event, a 5,000-meter event, a 6-mile event, or a 10,000-meter event.
He started an extended fight with the ‘Amateur Athletic Union’ (AAU) during his senior year. The organization insisted that those athletes who wished to remain amateur during the ‘Olympics’ would not receive any payment for their participation in track events, which, according to many, was unfair.
After concluding his collegiate career, Prefontaine eyed the 1976 ‘Summer Olympics,’ which was to be held in Montreal, and started preparing himself.
He succeeded in setting records in all the races, from 2,000 meters to 10,000 meters, during his tenure with the ‘Oregon Track Club.’
Meanwhile, in 1974, he was recruited as an employee by ‘Nike, Inc.’ He was the first athlete to be paid by ‘Nike’ for wearing their shoes. He wanted the top international athletes to wear ‘Nike’ shoes, and this made him send free shoes, with his personal letter, to many of his top competitors.
In his career, he had won 120 races out of the 153 races he had participated in.
Personal Life & Legacy
A group of travelling athletes from Finland participated in an ‘NCAA Prep’ meet at ‘Hayward Field’ in the spring of 1975. Following the event held on May 29, where Prefontaine won a 5,000-meter race, the American and Finnish athletes partied. While returning from the party, after midnight, Prefontaine decided to drive his orange 1973 MGB convertible. The same night, he met with a severe accident while driving. He was declared dead before any medical help could reach him.
He was buried at the ‘Sunset Memorial Park’ in Coos Bay, and a memorial service was held at ‘Hayward Field,’ which was attended by thousands of his fans, friends, and well-wishers.
The gifted athlete, along with Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, and Jim Ryun, was credited to have inspired the “running boom” of the 1970s.
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The annual ‘Oregon Track Club’ event, the ‘Hayward Field Restoration Meet,’ which began in 1973, was re-named as the ‘Bowerman Classic’ in 1975, after Bowerman. The same event was again re-named, with the latter’s approval, to ‘Prefontaine Classic’ on June 1, 1975, in honor of Prefontaine.
In 1983, he was inducted into the ‘Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.’
In December 1997, the ‘Pre's Rock’ memorial was dedicated to the athlete. The memorial, which is maintained as the ‘Prefontaine Memorial Park’ by ‘Eugene Parks and Recreation,’ is located at the site where Prefontaine had breathed his last.
The achievements of Prefontaine are honored every year by the ‘Prefontaine Memorial Run,’ which is held in Coos Bay on the third Saturday of September. Each year, more than a thousand runners participate in the event.
A section of the ‘Coos Art Museum’ in Coos Bay is dedicated to him.
Two films, ‘Prefontaine’ (1997) and ‘Without Limits’ (1998), as well as a documentary, ‘Fire on the Track’ (1995), were based on his life.
Facts About Steve Prefontaine

Steve Prefontaine was known for his bold racing tactics, often pushing the pace from the front and daring his competitors to keep up.

He was a passionate advocate for athletes' rights, famously fighting against strict amateurism rules and advocating for better compensation and support for athletes.

Prefontaine set numerous American records in distance running events, showcasing his exceptional talent and determination on the track.

Despite his competitive nature, Prefontaine was also known for his sportsmanship and camaraderie with fellow runners, earning respect and admiration from his peers.

Off the track, Prefontaine was an avid reader and thinker, known for his intellectual curiosity and philosophical approach to life and running.

See the events in life of Steve Prefontaine in Chronological Order

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