STEVE PREFONTAINE
- the late and great runner
"Pre," as he went by was born in Coos Bay, Oregon on January 25th, 1951. He attended Marshfield High School and was on the school's cross country and track teams. He didn't start to stand out until his junior and senior years in which he was undefeated all season(s).
He was recruited to run for the U of O by Bill Bowerman (the creator of Nike sportswear co.) and went on to win the olympic trials. He was predicted to win the Olympic 5000m (5k) that year in 1972 in Munich, but had an abnormal race and placed fourth.
He is famous not only for his running accomplishments but for his inspirational quotes throughout his life. He would remark that "someone might beat [him] but they're going to have to bleed to do it."
Pre had a bushy mustache and long flowing hair. He was not very tall, but he was pretty muscular.
He is the most well known runner in history because his death at the age of 24 was tragic, and he never reached his full potential, leaving fans wondering what he could have accomplished. He is well known for is aspirations to do great things, such as break world records and run times that are unheard of. At the time of his death, he owned every track record from 2,000m to 10,000m.