Steve Prefontaine
Encyclopedia
Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American middle and long-distance runner
. Prefontaine once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters. Prefontaine died at the age of 24 in a car accident.
Prefontaine, Frank Shorter
, and Bill Rodgers generated considerable media coverage which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom". Prefontaine was often known for his mustache and his long locks of hair that parted as he ran.
, Oregon. His father, Raymond Prefontaine, was a carpenter and a welder after his time serving in the U.S. Army in World War II
. Steve's mother, Elfriede, worked as a seamstress. The two returned to Coos Bay after Ray had met Elfriede in Germany while serving with the U.S. Army occupation forces . He had two sisters, Neta and Linda, and they all grew up in a house built by their father.
Prefontaine's personality was described as rambunctious, even during his formative years. He was always moving around, partaking in different activities. In junior high, Prefontaine played football
and basketball but rarely played in games due to his size. In the eighth grade, he noticed several high school cross country
team members jog to practice past the football field, an activity he then viewed as mundane. Later that year, he began to realize he was able to compete well in longer distance races in his physical education
class during a three week conditioning period. By the second week of the daily mile runs, Prefontaine was able to finish second in the group. With this new-found success, he fell in love with the sport.
in 1965, he joined the cross country team, coached by Walt McClure, Jr. McClure ran under coach Bill Bowerman
at the University of Oregon
and his father, Walt McClure, Sr. ran under Bill Hayward
, also at Oregon.
Prefontaine's freshman and sophomore years were described as unspectacular, managing a 5:01 mile personal best in his first year. Though starting out as the seventh man he progressed to be the second by year's end and placed 53rd in the state championship. In his sophomore year, he failed to qualify for the state meet in his event, the two-mile. However, his coach recalls that it was his sophomore year where his potential in the sport really began to surface.
With the advice of McClure, Prefontaine took it upon himself to train hard over the summer. He went through his junior
cross country season undefeated and won the state title.
Prefontaine set lofty goals for himself for his senior
season. He set a national record at the Corvallis Invitational with a time of 8:41.5, only one and a half seconds slower than his goal and 6.9 seconds better than the previous record. He won two more state titles that year after another undefeated season, one in the mile and the other in the two mile.
Prefontaine was recruited by 35 to 40 colleges across the nation. He received numerous phone calls, letters, and drop-in visits from coaches. Prefontaine referred many of his calls to McClure, who wanted Prefontaine to attend University of Oregon. McClure turned away those universities that began recruiting him late. McClure maintained that he did not sway Prefontaine's collegiate choice except to ask Steve where all the distance runners went to college.
Prefontaine wanted to stay in-state for college and especially the University of Oregon, but had not heard much from the University of Oregon head coach, Bill Bowerman. He only received letters from Oregon once a month whereas other universities such as Villanova
stayed in constant contact. As a result, Prefontaine did not know how much Bowerman wanted him to attend Oregon. Bowerman stated that he did not recruit Prefontaine any different than how he recruited anybody else. It was a matter of principle for him to advise recruits where to attend college, wherever it may be, and to not flood recruits with correspondences. Bowerman had followed Prefontaine's career since he was a sophomore and agreed with McClure in his assessment of Steve being a good runner.
It wasn't until Prefontaine read a letter from Bill Bowerman that he made up his mind to attend University of Oregon. Bowerman wrote that he was certain Prefontaine would become the world's greatest distance runner if he decided to run at Oregon. Sometime after Prefontaine announced that he signed a letter of intent
with the University of Oregon on the first of May in 1969, Bowerman wrote a letter addressed to the community of Coos Bay
describing his appreciation for their role in helping Steve become a great runner.
). He won the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship three of his four years at Oregon, because he sat out in 1972 to train for the Olympics in Munich. He suffered only two more defeats in college (both in the mile), winning three Division I NCAA Cross Country Championships and four straight three-mile/5000-meter titles in track. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity.
Prefontaine was an aggressive runner, insisting on going out hard and not relinquishing leads. He was quoted as saying, "No one will ever win a 5,000 meter by running an easy two miles. Not against me." He would later state, "I am going to work so that it's a pure guts race. In the end, if it is, I'm the only one that can win it". A local celebrity, chants of "Pre! Pre! Pre!" became a frequent feature at Hayward Field
, a mecca for track and field in the USA. Fans wore t-shirts that read "LEGEND", while those who supported other teams wore shirts with the phrase "STOP PRE" printed on a stop sign. Prefontaine gained national attention and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
at age 19.
Prefontaine set the American record in the 5000 meters race, the event that took him to the 1972 Summer Olympic Games
in Munich. In the finals, Prefontaine took the lead in the last mile and ended the slow pace of the first two miles. He held the lead until the last 150 meters before battling for first against Lasse Virén
and silver medalist Mohammed Gammoudi
. Britain's hard-charging Ian Stewart
moved into third place within ten meters of the finish line, depriving Prefontaine of an Olympic medal.
Returning for his senior year at the University of Oregon, Prefontaine ended his collegiate career with only three defeats in Eugene, all in the mile. It was during this year that Prefontaine began a protracted fight with the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU), which demanded that athletes who wanted to remain "amateur
" for the Olympics not be paid for appearances in track meets. Some viewed this arrangement as unfair, because the participants drew large crowds that generated millions of dollars in revenue, with the athletes being forced to shoulder the burden of all their own expenses without assistance. At the time, the AAU was rescinding athletes' amateur status if they were endorsed in any way. Because Prefontaine was accepting free clothes and footwear from Adidas
, he was subject to the AAU's ruling.
in Montreal
. While running for the Oregon Track Club, Pre was setting American records in every race from 2000 to 10000 meters.
, Prefontaine was driving down Skyline Boulevard, east of the University of Oregon campus near Hendricks Park
when, for unknown reasons, his orange 1973 MGB
convertible swerved into a rock wall and flipped. The overturned car trapped Prefontaine underneath it. The first witness on the scene, a nearby resident, ran outside and found Prefontaine flat on his back, still alive but pinned beneath the wreck. After trying and failing to lift the vehicle, the bystander ran to get help. By the time he returned with others, the weight of the car had crushed Prefontaine's chest, killing him.
Prefontaine is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in his hometown, Coos Bay
.
called his death "the end of an era". By the time of his death, Prefontaine was probably the most popular athlete in Oregon, who, along with Frank Shorter and Bill Bowerman, was credited with sparking the running boom of the 1970s. An annual track event, the Pre Classic
, has been held in his honor since 1975.
Over his career, he won 120 of the 153 races he ran (78 percent), and never lost a collegiate (NCAA) race at the University of Oregon. Prefontaine liked to say, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
Pre's Rock is a memorial at the site of the roadside boulder where Prefontaine died. Many runners inspired by Prefontaine leave behind memorabilia to honor his memory and continued influence, such as race numbers, medals, and running shoes. Pre's Rock was dedicated in December 1997 and is maintained by Eugene Parks and Recreation as Prefontaine Memorial Park. The rock is just across the Willamette River
from the east end of Pre's Trail
. The memorial features a plaque with a picture of Prefontaine that reads:
The Prefontaine Memorial, featuring a relief of his face, records, and date of birth, is located at the Coos Bay Visitor Center in Coos Bay. In 2008, ten memorial plaques were laid along the Prefontaine Memorial Race route, the former training grounds of Prefontaine. The plaques bear an image of Prefontaine from his high school year book and various quotes and records from his time in Coos Bay. The plaques were part of a grant from the Oregon Tourism Commission
, the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, and the Prefontaine Memorial Committee.
Each year on the third Saturday of September in Coos Bay, over 1000 runners engage in the Prefontaine Memorial Run, a 10k run honoring his accomplishments.
The Coos Art Museum
in Coos Bay contains a section dedicated to Prefontaine. This section includes medals he won during his career and the pair of spikes he wore when setting an American record for the 5,000 meters at Hayward Field.
In 1983, Prefontaine was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
, where several exhibits showcase his shoes, shirts, and other memorabilia. Steve Prefontaine is an inductee of The National Track and Field Hall of Fame in upper Manhattan where one of his Oregon University track uniforms is on display.
The Pete Susick Stadium at Marshfield High School dedicated their track to honor Prefontaine, in April 2001.
Nike used video footage in a commercial titled "Pre Lives" advertising his spirit for their product. On the 30th anniversary of his death, Nike placed a memorial in Sports Illustrated, and aired a television commercial in his honor. Nike
's headquarters have a building named after him.
, as well as the documentary film Fire on the Track. He has been posthumously nicknamed "the James Dean
of track" because both men had a reputation as rebels and loners, and both of them died in auto accidents (in convertibles) at the age of 24.
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
. Prefontaine once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters. Prefontaine died at the age of 24 in a car accident.
Prefontaine, Frank Shorter
Frank Shorter
Frank Charles Shorter is a former American long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics. His victory is credited with igniting the running boom in the United States of the 1970s....
, and Bill Rodgers generated considerable media coverage which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom". Prefontaine was often known for his mustache and his long locks of hair that parted as he ran.
Early life
Steve Prefontaine was born on January 25, 1951, in the coastal logging town of Coos BayCoos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
, Oregon. His father, Raymond Prefontaine, was a carpenter and a welder after his time serving in the U.S. Army in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Steve's mother, Elfriede, worked as a seamstress. The two returned to Coos Bay after Ray had met Elfriede in Germany while serving with the U.S. Army occupation forces . He had two sisters, Neta and Linda, and they all grew up in a house built by their father.
Prefontaine's personality was described as rambunctious, even during his formative years. He was always moving around, partaking in different activities. In junior high, Prefontaine played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball but rarely played in games due to his size. In the eighth grade, he noticed several high school cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
team members jog to practice past the football field, an activity he then viewed as mundane. Later that year, he began to realize he was able to compete well in longer distance races in his physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
class during a three week conditioning period. By the second week of the daily mile runs, Prefontaine was able to finish second in the group. With this new-found success, he fell in love with the sport.
High school (1965–1969)
When Prefontaine arrived at Marshfield High SchoolMarshfield High School (Coos Bay, Oregon)
Marshfield High School is a public high school in Coos Bay, Oregon, United States. Coos Bay is located on the southern Oregon coast. The campus consists of four major buildings, including a Intermediate building which opened in 2000 that serves as a building for people who are behind in their...
in 1965, he joined the cross country team, coached by Walt McClure, Jr. McClure ran under coach Bill Bowerman
Bill Bowerman
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and his father, Walt McClure, Sr. ran under Bill Hayward
Bill Hayward
William Louis "Colonel Bill" Hayward was a track and field coach for the University of Oregon for 44 years, and a coach for six United States Olympics teams.-Athletic career:...
, also at Oregon.
Prefontaine's freshman and sophomore years were described as unspectacular, managing a 5:01 mile personal best in his first year. Though starting out as the seventh man he progressed to be the second by year's end and placed 53rd in the state championship. In his sophomore year, he failed to qualify for the state meet in his event, the two-mile. However, his coach recalls that it was his sophomore year where his potential in the sport really began to surface.
With the advice of McClure, Prefontaine took it upon himself to train hard over the summer. He went through his junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
cross country season undefeated and won the state title.
Prefontaine set lofty goals for himself for his senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
season. He set a national record at the Corvallis Invitational with a time of 8:41.5, only one and a half seconds slower than his goal and 6.9 seconds better than the previous record. He won two more state titles that year after another undefeated season, one in the mile and the other in the two mile.
Prefontaine was recruited by 35 to 40 colleges across the nation. He received numerous phone calls, letters, and drop-in visits from coaches. Prefontaine referred many of his calls to McClure, who wanted Prefontaine to attend University of Oregon. McClure turned away those universities that began recruiting him late. McClure maintained that he did not sway Prefontaine's collegiate choice except to ask Steve where all the distance runners went to college.
Prefontaine wanted to stay in-state for college and especially the University of Oregon, but had not heard much from the University of Oregon head coach, Bill Bowerman. He only received letters from Oregon once a month whereas other universities such as Villanova
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
stayed in constant contact. As a result, Prefontaine did not know how much Bowerman wanted him to attend Oregon. Bowerman stated that he did not recruit Prefontaine any different than how he recruited anybody else. It was a matter of principle for him to advise recruits where to attend college, wherever it may be, and to not flood recruits with correspondences. Bowerman had followed Prefontaine's career since he was a sophomore and agreed with McClure in his assessment of Steve being a good runner.
It wasn't until Prefontaine read a letter from Bill Bowerman that he made up his mind to attend University of Oregon. Bowerman wrote that he was certain Prefontaine would become the world's greatest distance runner if he decided to run at Oregon. Sometime after Prefontaine announced that he signed a letter of intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
with the University of Oregon on the first of May in 1969, Bowerman wrote a letter addressed to the community of Coos Bay
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
describing his appreciation for their role in helping Steve become a great runner.
College (1970–1973)
Prefontaine was recruited by several top track programs across the United States, but decided to enroll at the University of Oregon to train under coach Bill Bowerman (who in 1964 founded Blue Ribbon Sports, later known as NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
). He won the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship three of his four years at Oregon, because he sat out in 1972 to train for the Olympics in Munich. He suffered only two more defeats in college (both in the mile), winning three Division I NCAA Cross Country Championships and four straight three-mile/5000-meter titles in track. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
fraternity.
Prefontaine was an aggressive runner, insisting on going out hard and not relinquishing leads. He was quoted as saying, "No one will ever win a 5,000 meter by running an easy two miles. Not against me." He would later state, "I am going to work so that it's a pure guts race. In the end, if it is, I'm the only one that can win it". A local celebrity, chants of "Pre! Pre! Pre!" became a frequent feature at Hayward Field
Hayward Field
Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the best-known historic track and field stadiums in the United States. Nearly a century in age, it was the home of the University of Oregon's football team from 1919 through 1966, and has been the home to the Ducks' track and field teams since 1921...
, a mecca for track and field in the USA. Fans wore t-shirts that read "LEGEND", while those who supported other teams wore shirts with the phrase "STOP PRE" printed on a stop sign. Prefontaine gained national attention and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
at age 19.
Prefontaine set the American record in the 5000 meters race, the event that took him to the 1972 Summer Olympic Games
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich. In the finals, Prefontaine took the lead in the last mile and ended the slow pace of the first two miles. He held the lead until the last 150 meters before battling for first against Lasse Virén
Lasse Virén
Lasse Artturi Virén is a former Finnish long-distance runner, winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics...
and silver medalist Mohammed Gammoudi
Mohammed Gammoudi
Mohammed Tlili ben Abdallah , also known as Mohamed Gammoudi, is a former Tunisian athlete, and winner of 5000 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics....
. Britain's hard-charging Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart (athlete)
Ian Stewart is a Scottish athlete. Ian Stewart was one of the world's leading distance runners between the late 1960s and mid-1970s. Stewart won the bronze medal in the Men's 5000 metres at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich...
moved into third place within ten meters of the finish line, depriving Prefontaine of an Olympic medal.
Returning for his senior year at the University of Oregon, Prefontaine ended his collegiate career with only three defeats in Eugene, all in the mile. It was during this year that Prefontaine began a protracted fight with the Amateur Athletic Union
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...
(AAU), which demanded that athletes who wanted to remain "amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
" for the Olympics not be paid for appearances in track meets. Some viewed this arrangement as unfair, because the participants drew large crowds that generated millions of dollars in revenue, with the athletes being forced to shoulder the burden of all their own expenses without assistance. At the time, the AAU was rescinding athletes' amateur status if they were endorsed in any way. Because Prefontaine was accepting free clothes and footwear from Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, he was subject to the AAU's ruling.
After college (1974–1975)
Following his collegiate career at Oregon, Prefontaine prepared for the 1976 Summer Olympics1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. While running for the Oregon Track Club, Pre was setting American records in every race from 2000 to 10000 meters.
Death
On May 30, 1975, returning from a party, after dropping off friend and distance champion Frank ShorterFrank Shorter
Frank Charles Shorter is a former American long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics. His victory is credited with igniting the running boom in the United States of the 1970s....
, Prefontaine was driving down Skyline Boulevard, east of the University of Oregon campus near Hendricks Park
Hendricks Park
Hendricks Park is the oldest city park in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The park is a little over a mile away from the University of Oregon campus, and contains mature forest, a world-renowned rhododendron garden, and a native plant garden...
when, for unknown reasons, his orange 1973 MGB
MG MGB
The MGB is a sports car launched by MG Cars in May 1962 to replace the MGA. Introduced as a four-cylinder roadster, a coupé with 2+2 seating was added in 1965...
convertible swerved into a rock wall and flipped. The overturned car trapped Prefontaine underneath it. The first witness on the scene, a nearby resident, ran outside and found Prefontaine flat on his back, still alive but pinned beneath the wreck. After trying and failing to lift the vehicle, the bystander ran to get help. By the time he returned with others, the weight of the car had crushed Prefontaine's chest, killing him.
Prefontaine is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in his hometown, Coos Bay
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
.
Aftermath
The Eugene Register-GuardThe Register-Guard
The Register-Guard is a daily newspaper published in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the Eugene Daily Guard and the Morning Register. The paper serves the Eugene-Springfield area, as well as the Oregon Coast, Umpqua River Valley, and surrounding...
called his death "the end of an era". By the time of his death, Prefontaine was probably the most popular athlete in Oregon, who, along with Frank Shorter and Bill Bowerman, was credited with sparking the running boom of the 1970s. An annual track event, the Pre Classic
Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.-History:...
, has been held in his honor since 1975.
Over his career, he won 120 of the 153 races he ran (78 percent), and never lost a collegiate (NCAA) race at the University of Oregon. Prefontaine liked to say, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
Memorials
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
from the east end of Pre's Trail
Pre's Trail
Pre's Trail, located on the north side of the Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon, United States, popularly referred to as "Track Town USA", is a four-mile-long running and walking trail named after heralded University of Oregon athlete Steve Prefontaine...
. The memorial features a plaque with a picture of Prefontaine that reads:
The Prefontaine Memorial, featuring a relief of his face, records, and date of birth, is located at the Coos Bay Visitor Center in Coos Bay. In 2008, ten memorial plaques were laid along the Prefontaine Memorial Race route, the former training grounds of Prefontaine. The plaques bear an image of Prefontaine from his high school year book and various quotes and records from his time in Coos Bay. The plaques were part of a grant from the Oregon Tourism Commission
Oregon Tourism Commission
The Oregon Tourism Commission, which does business as Travel Oregon, is a semi-independent agency of the government of Oregon based in the state capital of Salem. The agency is run by a nine-member board appointed by the governor, and governs several programs that work to grow the state economy by...
, the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, and the Prefontaine Memorial Committee.
Each year on the third Saturday of September in Coos Bay, over 1000 runners engage in the Prefontaine Memorial Run, a 10k run honoring his accomplishments.
The Coos Art Museum
Coos Art Museum
Coos Art Museum is a museum in Coos Bay, operating on the southern coast of Oregon since 1950. Located in a historic former US Post Office, it offers tour exhibits, art classes, lectures, and community events. The museum holds 477 permanent collections and rotates its displays throughout the year,...
in Coos Bay contains a section dedicated to Prefontaine. This section includes medals he won during his career and the pair of spikes he wore when setting an American record for the 5,000 meters at Hayward Field.
In 1983, Prefontaine was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
, where several exhibits showcase his shoes, shirts, and other memorabilia. Steve Prefontaine is an inductee of The National Track and Field Hall of Fame in upper Manhattan where one of his Oregon University track uniforms is on display.
The Pete Susick Stadium at Marshfield High School dedicated their track to honor Prefontaine, in April 2001.
Nike used video footage in a commercial titled "Pre Lives" advertising his spirit for their product. On the 30th anniversary of his death, Nike placed a memorial in Sports Illustrated, and aired a television commercial in his honor. Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
's headquarters have a building named after him.
Portrayals in mass media
Steve Prefontaine's life story has been detailed in two dramatic films: 1997's Prefontaine and 1998's Without LimitsWithout Limits
Without Limits is a 1998 biographical film about the relationship between record-breaking distance runner Steve Prefontaine and his coach Bill Bowerman, who later co-founded Nike, Inc....
, as well as the documentary film Fire on the Track. He has been posthumously nicknamed "the James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
of track" because both men had a reputation as rebels and loners, and both of them died in auto accidents (in convertibles) at the age of 24.
External links
- Official website
- Prefontaine Classic homepage
- Guide to the Bill Bowerman Papers at the University of Oregon
- Steve Prefontaine Bio & Pix – University of Oregon, Official Athletic Site
- Without Limits -vs- Prefontaine at Movie Smackdown
- Nike Commercial "Pre Lives"
- Running Legends, Steve Prefontaine
- Prefontaine Dedication
- Born to Run, From a Kid in Coos Bay to an Unbelievable Legend
- "Without Limits" Trailer
- Nike 30th Memorial Commercial
- Original 1972 Olympic 5k, Steve Prefontaine
- Original 1972 Olympic 5k-2, Steve Prefontaine