Steve Roland Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975)

this guys is a pro runner (1mile 3:54:6) and has always been inspirational to me. thought i'ld just share it with everyone!


Steve Roland Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) (nicknamed Pre) was an American Olympic runner and considered perhaps the most loved American runner of all time, having inspired a running boom during the 1970s. Born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon, Prefontaine was primarily a long distance runner, and at one point held the American record in every running event from the 2000 meters to the 10,000 meters. Prefontaine had one leg longer than the other (a common condition that does not affect running speed), and due to this he was told to give up on his dream of being the fastest runner on earth. He is known for his extremely aggressive "front-running" racing style and always believing in giving a full effort. Prefontaine died at the age of 24 in a car accident.

Steve Prefontaine is arguably the greatest American distance runner in history, and at the height of his career he held every American track and field record from the 2,000 to the 10,000 meters. Many years after his untimely death, Prefontaine remains an icon, an idol and an obsession in American running. Over his running career, he won 120 of the 153 races he ran, or 78 percent. One of Prefontaine's most famous quotes that is still vibrant for runners today is "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."

Personal quotes

• "To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift."
• "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more. Nobody is going to win a 5,000 meter race after running an easy 2 miles. Not with me. If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself."
• "I don't just go out there and run. I like to give people watching something exciting."
• "I run best when I run free."
• "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they're capable of understanding."
• "I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it."
• "Someone may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it."
• "The only good race pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die."
• "What I want is to be number one."
• "Something inside of me just said 'Hey, wait a minute, I want to beat him,' and I just took off."
• "Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative."
• "How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races? All my life people have been telling me, 'You're too small Pre', 'You're not fast enough Pre.' 'Give up your foolish dream Steve.' But they forgot something. I have to win."